1966 in spaceflight

1966 in spaceflight

Gemini 8 about to dock with its Agena target vehicle, the first time two spacecraft dock in orbit.
Orbital launches
First	7 January
Last	29 December
Total	131
Successes	111
Failures	13
Partial failures	7
Catalogued	118
Manned flights
Orbital	5
Total travellers	10

The year 1966 saw the peak and the end of the Gemini program. The program proved that docking in space and human EVA's could be done safely. It saw the first launch of the Saturn IB rocket, an important step in the Apollo program, and the launch of Luna 9, the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on a celestial object (the Moon).

Gemini 11