Artist's concept depicting the approximate positions which the Gemini 6 and 7 spacecrafts will be oriented at the terminal phase of the proposed rendezvous mission. Rendezvous was first successfully accomplished by US astronaut Wally Schirra on December 15, 1965. Schirra maneuvered the Gemini 6 spacecraft within 1 foot of its sister craft Gemini 7. The spacecraft were not equipped to dock with each other, but maintained station-keeping for more than 20 minutes.