2-701-598 - Heritage Space/Heritage Images

First rendezvous in space, 15 December 1965. The Gemini 7 spacecraft as seen from the Gemini 6 spacecraft - during the meeting they were only a foot or so away from eachother. Both manned spacecrafts carried Hasselblad cameras, and the pictures received world acclaim. The first ever rendezvous between two spacecraft in orbit was a transformative capability that was not only necessary for the Apollo moon landing missions, but crucial in building and operating the International Space Station. The rendezvous marked the first time a human spaceflight milestone was achieved by the United States first, with the United States clearly pulling ahead in the space race with the Soviet Union.