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A series of manned, orbiting spacecraft, launched by the USA in the 1960s. They were an important part of the development of manned spaceflight technology in preparation for the Apollo programme of Moon landings. Gemini 3 in 1965 was the first American flight with a crew of more than one astronaut, and Gemini 8 in March 1966 achieved the first successful docking in space. The last of the series was Gemini 12 in November 1966. Many of the astronauts who later took part in the Apollo Moon landings also flew in the Gemini programme.
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