Back in March 1966, when Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott linked their Gemini VIII capsule to an Agena target vehicle—the first docking in space—both craft began tumbling out of control ...

Gemini's usual target was an unmanned Agena-D. Launched by its own Atlas rocket 100 minutes prior to the crew's launch via Titan, the Agena was a combination docking target and booster rocket.

And now, after the flawless twin launch of the Agena target vehicle and the Gemini, after making space rendezvous seem almost routine, and after the first successful docking of two spaceships ...

As Gemini VIII’s primary mission was to perform rendezvous and four docking tests with the Agena target vehicle and to execute extravehicular activity (EVA), its orbital chase of Agena was on.