> Which constellation inspired the name of NASA's first two-person spacecraft?And the answer: Gemini. Photo courtesy: NASA.NASA named the Gemini spacecraft and program after theconstellation Gemini, which is the Latin word meaning "twins." They chose thisname because the Gemini capsule would carry two people. Project Gemini set thestage for Project Apollo, which led to astronauts landing on the moon.Project Gemini taught NASA a great deal about what it would take to putastronauts on the moon. Though the Mercury mission proved that astronauts couldfly in space, there were still many dots to connect before a moon landing wouldbe possible. Project Gemini helped gather data on how the human body couldwithstand space travel, how astronauts could go outside a spacecraft in space,and how to connect two spacecraft. Gemini 3 was the first flight that tested a new space vehicle, and carriedastronauts to space. During the Gemini 4 test flight, astronaut Ed H. White IIbecame the first American to spacewalk. Gemini 5 stayed in orbit for more than aweek, marking the longest time a manned NASA craft remained in space. Gemini 6Aand 7 missions were in space at the same time and met each other in orbit, whileGemini 7 stayed in space for two weeks. Gemini 8 connected with another unmannedspacecraft in orbit. Gemini 9 mission tested different ways of flying nearanother spacecraft, 10 connected with another spacecraft and used its engines tomove both vehicles, Gemini 11 mission flew higher than any NASA mission beforeand Gemini 12 perfected all that had been learned over each mission. Learn more about the legendary project below.