Gemini 3 was the third crewed mission in NASA’s Gemini program, which was a precursor to the Apollo program that ultimately landed astronauts on the moon. The mission was launched on March 23, 1965 and was the first crewed spaceflight to include a planned change of orbit, which was accomplished by firing the spacecraft’s engines for a brief period to alter its trajectory. The mission was also the first to include in-flight experimentation, with the astronauts conducting a number of scientific experiments during the flight. The mission was successful, and the astronauts, Gus Grissom and John Young, returned to Earth safely after completing three orbits of the planet.
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