Gemini 8 historical video

Here's another historical video-- this time of Gemini 8, which flew in 1966. The mission was to practice techniques necessary for the lunar mission, which was to occur by the end of the decade.

There was an emergency onboard, as the Gemini capsule went into an out of control spin while in orbit. Control over the spacecraft had to be given back to the astronauts, who managed to get it back under control. An emergency re-entry was achieved, and the situation ended safely.

The point is that success doesn't occur automatically. Things can and do go wrong.