On this day in space! Aug. 29, 1965: NASA's Gemini 5 breaks spaceflight duration record after 2 astronauts spent '8 days in a garbage can'
On August 29, 1965, NASA astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad returned from the Gemini 5 mission, setting a new world record for spaceflight duration. The mission was a critical endurance test for the subsequent Apollo program.
Why it matters
The Gemini 5 mission was a foundational step in human space exploration, proving that astronauts could survive long-duration flights necessary for moon missions.
NASA astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad spent "8 days in a garbage can" on the Gemini 5 mission in 1965.
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Click for next article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter On Aug. 29, 1965, two NASA astronauts returned from their record-breaking Gemini 5 mission .
Astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad spent eight days in Earth orbit, and for the first time, the United States set a world record for the duration of a crewed spaceflight.
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