On 18 July 1966, astronauts John Young and Michael Collins launched on the mission of Gemini X, the 8th manned Gemini flight, the 16th manned American flight and the 24th spaceflight of all time. Astronaut Young was a naval aviator and had flown the F-9 Cougar jet (similar to the one on USS Yorktown at Patriots Point) off aircraft carriers in the 1950's and Michael Collins was an Air Force pilot who had flown the F-86 Sabre. Both astronauts would travel to the moon twice during Apollo missions, only one other astronaut pulled this feat (Jim Lovell).
Watch the launch of Gemini X here
The mission lasted 2 days, 22 hours and 46 minutes (46 orbits of earth), Two successful docking rendezvous were achieved and two EVAs (extra-vehicle activity, aka spacewalk) were completed by astronaut Collins with the longest at 1 hour and 29 minutes.
