On this day in space! Sept. 14, 1966: NASA's Gemini 11 astronauts set altitude record for Earth orbit that went unbroken for 58 years
On Sept. 14, 1966, NASA's Gemini 11 mission set an spaceflight altitude record that lasted for nearly six decades. Here's why the mission mattered.
On September 14, 1966, NASA's Gemini 11 mission achieved a remarkable feat by setting an altitude record for Earth orbit that remained unbroken for nearly six decades. Astronauts Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon reached an orbit of 850 miles above the Earth, a record that stood until September 10, 2024. The mission, which lasted just three days, included two spacewalks and the first-ever direct-ascent rendezvous with an Agena target vehicle.
Gemini 11 command pilot Conrad and pilot Gordon demonstrated artificial gravity by using their thrusters to rotate the combined spacecraft, a feat that added a bit of simulated gravity to their orbit. They also performed eight different science experiments during their time in space. Although their mission was relatively short, Gemini 11 marked the highest altitude reached by a crewed, non-lunar mission before the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission in 2024.
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