Gemini 8 mission 50th anniversary (29 images)

Today marks the 50th anniversary of NASA's Gemini 8 mission, the sixth manned spaceflight conducted during the United States' Project Gemini program. The primary objective of the mission the successful docking of two spacecraft in orbit, a first in spaceflight. It was a success, though the crew suffered a critical system failure, forcing them to abandon their mission and return to Earth after just 10 hours in space. Find more about this day in history in the UPI Almanac.

NASA astronaut David Scott practicing for his Gemini 8 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the air bearing floor in Building 4 of the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas, on February 1, 1966. He is wearing the Hand-Held Maneuvering Unit, which he will use during the EVA. NASA/UPI

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NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong undergoes weight and balance tests in the Pyrotechnic Installation Building, at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on February 18, 1966. NASA/UPI

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NASA astronaut David R. Scott, prime crew pilot on Gemini 8, undergoes water egress training in a special tank in Building 260A at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), in Houston, Texas, on January 5, 1966. An MSC swimmer assists in the training exercise. A full-scale model of a Gemini spacecraft floats in the water beside Scott. NASA/UPI

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Gemini 8 prime and backup crews during a February 26, 1966, press conference. Left to right are astronauts David Scott, prime crew pilot; Neil Armstrong, prime crew command pilot; Pete Conrad, backup crew command pilot; and Richard Gordon Jr., backup crew pilot. NASA/UPI

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