In March 1966, Neil Armstrong completed the first docking in space, then a stuck thruster sent Gemini 8 spinning once every second — fast enough to blur the astronauts’ vision and threaten unconsciousness — forcing Armstrong to shut down the main control system and save both men with the re-entry thrusters three years before he flew to the Moon

In March 1966, Neil Armstrong completed the first docking in space, then a stuck thruster sent Gemini 8 spinning once every second — fast enough to blur the astronauts’ vision and threaten unconsciousness — forcing Armstrong to shut down the main control system and save both men with the re-entry thrusters three years before he flew to the Moon

On 16 March 1966, Neil Armstrong did something no one had done before: he flew one spacecraft up to another and joined them together, the first docking in the history of spaceflight. Within half an hour that success had turned into the most dangerous few minutes any American crew had yet faced in orbit, with the capsule spinning fast enough to blur the two astronauts’ vision and push them towards blacking out. How Armstrong got out of it is part…