Sharing close quarters on Gemini 7

While the International Space Station (ISS) is relatively spacious, to say the Gemini capsule was cramped would be a major understatement. Although the entire Gemini spacecraft seemed large in comparison to its predecessor, the Mercury capsule, Gemini astronauts were confined to a small area in only one portion of the craft: the pressure hull of the reentry module.

The astronauts sat in single, forward-facing seats below two individual hatches. Unless the hatches were opened — as would be the case in the event of a spacewalk — the astronauts could not stand up or move around. Each astronaut had his own window, but they were only 6 by 8 inches (15 by 20 centimeters). And to make matters worse, when the hatch was closed, the windows were just a few inches from the astronauts’ faces.

All this to say that staying 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart, as with current social distancing recommendations, was just plain impossible; the men were rubbing shoulders, sharing every breath, sneeze, and cough. There also was very little storage space onboard, which meant the astronauts often stowed trash in their footwells or, more commonly, simply crammed it behind their seats. All in all, the interior of the Gemini capsule was only slightly larger than the front seat of a small car.

During the flight of Gemini 7, Borman and Lovell had plenty of work to do. They not only carried out many experiments, they also nailed their half of the rendezvous with Gemini 6, which flawlessly brought the spacecraft to within about a foot (30 cm) of each other. (The craft were not equipped to dock with one another.)

However, despite their heavy workload, Borman and Lovell also had both free time and housekeeping tasks. Eating, drinking, changing in and out of their spacesuits, and going to the bathroom consumed much of their days. Both men also brought books to read during downtime (Roughing it by Mark Twain for Borman; Drums Along the Mohawk by Walter Edmonds for Lovell). The men did literally everything — including washing and performing all bodily functions — in each other’s presence, as there was simply no alternative. For example, when Lovell lost his toothbrush early in the flight, the astronauts simply shared Borman’s for the rest of the trip.

Lovell likened the trip to “living in a men’s room.”