103 a
Frank Borman or James Lovell

“Beat Army” sign on Gemini VI-A spacecraft’s window

Gemini VII, December 4-18, 1965, orbit 166, 266:12:00 GET

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA S-65-64040” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

103 b
Frank Borman or James Lovell

Gemini VI-A spacecraft over the Blue Earth

Gemini VII, December 4-18, 1965, orbit 166, 266:13:00 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso [NASA S-65-64041]

103 c
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

The astronauts back to Earth after a record-breaking 14-day mission in space

Gemini VII, December 18, 1965

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA MSC caption and “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA S-65-63646” in blue in top margin
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

103 a
The two spacecrafts were 38 feet apart when this photograph was taken.

“Gemini VI-A and VII were maneuvered, as Schirra later put it in his book Schirra’s Space, ‘window to window and nose to nose’ close enough to wave to each other through the portholes and read Schirra’s ‘Beat Army’ sign meant in jest for Borman, the sole West Point man among the three Navy pilots of the two spacecraft” (https://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/humanFactor.html).

“The rendezvous of Gemini VI-A with Gemini VII was a milestone in space flight. It was the first opportunity to closely examine a space vehicle in orbit and proved our concept of rendezvous.”
James Lovell (Cortright, p. 165)

103 b
The nose of the Gemini VI-A spacecraft is about 55 feet away and the Earth approximately 160 miles below.

“For this experiment we were the target craft, stationary while Gemini VI-A rendezvoused on us. Once the rendezvous was accomplished, we could move around and photograph each other. This picture was taken both for documentation and for artistic purposes.”
James Lovell (Schick and Van Haaften, p. 57)

103 c
Borman and Lovell in Gemini VII stayed up for 220 orbits, establishing an endurance record in space.

“Gemini VII remained in space two days after Gemini VI-A’s return, landing December 18, 1965. Borman and Lovell held the world record for the longest human spaceflight until the 17-day Soyuz 9 mission in June 1970 and were U.S. record holders until the Skylab missions in 1973 and 1974.

‘The VII and VI-A missions were a very fitting climax to a successful year of Gemini flights,’ said NASA Gemini Program Manager Charles Matthews. ‘Gemini IV introduced us to spacewalking and was also the start of our buildup of long duration missions and went four days. Gemini V, in turn, went eight days. This effort on the (Gemini) VII/VI-A mission, is an example of the American spirit as it has existed throughout the years and is ample evidence that it exists today’” (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/dual-gemini-flights-achieved-crucial-spaceflight-milestones).