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Titan II & Gemini Program
The Titan II booster rocket carried not only the Mark 6, but was the reentry vehicles for NASA's Gemini space program. General Stafford flew on two Gemini missions: Gemini VI and Gemini IX. Amazingly, the Gemini space craft was interchangeable with the thermo-nuclear warhead. The Titan II was able to boost 8,000 pounds to orbit. It weighed 339,512 lbs and was 103 feet long. The Titan II produced 430,000 lbs of thrust in the first stage and 100,000 lbs of thrust in the second stage. This United States Air Force missile was on active alert in hardened silos from 1963-1987. The Mark 6 reentry vehicle carried the 9 megaton W-53 thermo-nuclear warhead, which weighed 8380 lbs and had a range of 5500 miles. It reentered the atmosphere traveling at 15,0000 mph.
NASA staged twelve flights, ten of them manned, in the course of which the problems of rendezvous, docking, learning how to do work in a spacesuit, and extravehicular activities (space walking) were tackled and solved. The Gemini missions proved it was possible to accomplish long duration flights in space. This mission's demonstrations of technological and operational lessons was crucial in order to cary out the Apollo program. This exciting space program lasted until the end of 1966. 
The Gemini orbital configuration space craft is shown on display at the museum next to the Mark 6 Reentry vehicle. The Titan II launch vehicle is also located alongside its two interchangeable payload components.
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The Gemini design was considered the ultimate 'pilot's spacecraft' and its extremely light weight making it popular with engineers. The orbital configuration was 8,000 lbs. The