Gemini Docking Mechanism

The Gemini spacecraft was equipped with a non-androgynous mechanism for docking with the Agena target vehicle or Augmented Target Docking Adapter.

The Gemini side of the mechanism consisted of 3 latch receptacles around the forward end (the rendezvous and recovery section) of the spacecraft.

[1] The Agena side of the mechanism consisted of a truncated cone to guide the nose of the Gemini spacecraft into 3 corresponding latches.

[2] Unlike the later Apollo Docking Mechanism, the Gemini docking mechanism did not provide internal access between the docked spacecraft; it only locked them together and provided an electronic umbilical to control the Agena from the Gemini capsule.

This article related to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is a stub.

Gemini 10 docked with an Agena, showing the alignment of the indexing bar
The Target Docking Adapter of the Gemini 12 Agena, showing the docking mechanism