“We’re on our way, buddy!”

Abstract

That simple, but clear message to everyone in the new Mission Control Center in Houston was a defining rally call. Prior to Gemini 4, the U.S. had accumulated almost 65 man-hours in space and the successful completion of the mission would raise this to about 257 man-hours (or about 154 manned spacecraft hours). This mission was where the Americans began the long, slow, but methodical climb to catch and ultimately overtake the Soviets in their quest for space dominance and in the race for the Moon. In the first half of the 1960s, most of the ‘space spectacular’ headlines had been credited to the achievements of the Soviet Union, with the United States running a poor second. But from June 1965, and for the next decade, all this would begin to change. Leading the resurgence were astronauts Jim McDivitt and Ed White, the prime crew for Gemini 4.

“We are 301 man-orbits and 443 man-hours

behind the Russians in spaceflight time.”

Taken from a wall poster displayed in

MCC-Houston on the morning

of Gemini 4’s launch.