Facts about Gemini 7

1. 07

   Gemini 7's batteries consisted of 24 silver-zinc cells that provided electrical power throughout the 14-day mission without requiring external charging or solar panels.

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2. 06

   Gemini 7's cabin pressure was maintained at 5.0 pounds per square inch, using a pure oxygen atmosphere that required special fire-resistant materials throughout the spacecraft.

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3. 05

   Gemini 7 completed 206 orbits around Earth during its 330-hour mission, accumulating more orbital distance than any crewed spacecraft had previously traveled.

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4. 04

   Gemini 7 and Gemini 6-A achieved the first crewed spacecraft rendezvous on December 15, 1965, closing to within one foot of each other while orbiting Earth.

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5. 03

   Astronaut Frank Borman commanded Gemini 7 while suffering from severe gastroenteritis during the entire 14-day mission, managing the illness without informing mission control until after landing.

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6. 02

   Gemini 7's thermal control system used a passive radiator design that dissipated heat through 400 square feet of surface area coated with special white paint.

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7. 01

   In December 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford piloted Gemini 7 for nearly 14 days in orbit, setting the then-record for longest crewed spaceflight.

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