The Economic Times

In 1966, Gemini VIII made the first U.S. docking in space; 27 minutes later, a stuck thruster sent it spinning near 1 revolution per second before Neil Armstrong stopped it

The Gemini VIII mission quickly transitioned from a planned rendezvous to a critical in-flight emergency. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott faced a dangerous spin after docking with an Agena target vehicle. Armstrong's decisive action to use re-entry thrusters stabilized the spacecraft and averted disaster. This emergency led to an early mission end and a vital safety improvement for future flights.