photo #8613949

In this historic photograph captured on December 15, 1965, the Gemini 7 spacecraft, piloted by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, is visible from the hatch window of the Gemini 6A, commanded by Walter Schirra and Tom Stafford, as the two spacecraft performed a close rendezvous maneuver in Earth orbit. The image, taken with a modified 70mm Hasselblad camera using Eastman Kodak Ektachrome color film, shows the Gemini 7 approximately 13 meters (43 feet) away from Gemini 6A, at an altitude of roughly 257 kilometers (160 miles), during their fifth orbit around the planet. This momentous event marked a significant milestone in the Gemini program, demonstrating the ability to safely rendezvous and maintain proximity between two spacecraft in space, paving the way for future lunar missions. Key details:Spacecraft: Gemini 7 (target) and Gemini 6A (chaser)Astronauts: Frank Borman and Jim Lovell (Gemini 7), Walter Schirra and Tom Stafford (Gemini 6A)Date: December 15, 1965Camera: Modified 70mm HasselbladFilm: Eastman Kodak Ektachrome color film.