June 1966β¦ Gemini X training 60 years ago... Michael Collins during Gemini X. Collins graduated from the United States Military Academy - West Point Class 1952, joined the US Air Force as a testpilot and was selected in NASAβs third group of astronauts in 1963. Selected as backup for Gemini VII, Collins became prime crew pilot for Gemini X in January 1966. Β The first NASA photos showing Michael Collins wearing a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster are dated April 1966 and in these June 1966 photos Collins wore a Speedmaster 105.003-63 wrist chronograph on long Velcro strap. Interestingly, during the Gemini X mission, Collins wore the NASA-issued Speedmaster on a leather bund-type strap underneath the David Clark space suit. Collins performed a 49-minutes long stand-up EVA (torso outside spacecraft) and an umbilical EVA-spacewalk to retrieve experiments from the Agena Target Vehicle. Collins main task was to perform celestial navigation with a handheld sextant. During his two spaceflight missions, Michael Collins accumulated 11 days 2 hours in space. (Photos: NASA)
