The United States’ Gemini 8 mission, launched March 16, 1966 (U.S

time), achieved the world’s first docking between two spacecraft in orbit on March 16 (March 17 GMT). Neil Armstrong and David Scott successfully docked their Gemini capsule with an unmanned Agena target vehicle, a critical step toward the later Apollo moon landings. The triumph nearly turned to disaster when a stuck thruster sent the docked craft spinning out of control, forcing Armstrong to undock and make an emergency landing. The incident demonstrated the dangers of spaceflight – and Armstrong’s coolness under pressure, foreshadowing his “small step” three years later.