137 a
“Enthusiastic guests of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Cape Kennedy view the lift-off of the Gemini XI astronauts Pete Conrad and Richard Gordon” (NASA caption).

137 b
A photograph showing the transition between the Gemini and Apollo Programs.

Gemini XI lifted off during a two-second window, the shortest of the Gemini Program, to rendezvous with the Agena Target Vehicle on the first orbit.
The Apollo-Saturn V checkout vehicle, AS-500F, is more than 9 miles away at Launch Pad 39A in the background, specially constructed for the Apollo Moon missions.
Launch Complex 15 and 16 are in the foreground; Launch Complex 37 is at the center left; and Launch Complex 34 at the right.

137 c
Richard Gordon is seen at the Agena work station during Extravehicular Activity (EVA). This picture was taken over the Atlantic Ocean at approximately 160 nautical miles above Earth’s surface.
Although Gordon had to cut short his EVA when he was blinded by sweat in his right eye, he helped to accomplish one highly important objective by attaching a 100-foot-long Dacron tether to link Gemini XI and the Agena target.

“Although there was a standup EVA period still before them, spacewalking (or swimming) on this mission was finished, and the feasibility of working outside the spacecraft was not settled by Gemini XI. Cernan had told Collins and Gordon about his problems, and Collins had further emphasized his experiences to Gordon.
Yet, as the flights progressed, each successive pilot continued to be amazed that the simplest tasks were so much harder than he expected. ‘Gene Cernan warned me about this and I took it to heart,’ Gordon later said. ‘I knew it was going to be harder, but I had no idea of the magnitude.’ Apparently the supporting engineers had no idea, either, since they still had not provided satisfactory restraints to help the crews” (Barton Hacker and James Grimwood, On the Shoulders of Titans, 1977, NASA SP-4203, ch.15-3).

From the mission transcript during the EVA:

024:14:23 Conrad: He (Gordon)’s got the tether on there and he’s just sitting up there resting. He’s breathing pretty hard and he’s about to get it all tightened down and crawl on the docking part of …