On this day in space! Sept. 14, 1966: NASA's Gemini 11 astronauts set altitude record for Earth orbit that went unbroken for 58 years

On Sept. 14, 1966, NASA's Gemini 11 mission set an spaceflight altitude record that lasted for nearly six decades when two astronauts reached an orbit of 850 miles above the Earth. It remained the highest altitude ever achieved by a crewed, non-lunar mission until 2024.

Gemini 11 command pilot Pete Conrad and pilot Dick Gordon spent three days orbiting the Earth in their cramped Gemini spacecraft. After launch, they performed the first-ever direct-ascent rendezvous with an Agena target vehicle.

Once the two spacecraft were adjoined, they used the rocket on the Agena target vehicle to ascend to their record-breaking altitude. They also ...