Crammed into a capsule smaller than a car's front seat, Borman and Lovell spent two weeks in orbit to prove astronauts could survive the duration needed for a future lunar mission. Days later, Gemini 6A launched to rendezvous with them, achieving the first-ever close-proximity meeting of two crewed spacecraft in orbit, a critical rehearsal for the docking maneuvers Apollo would require.
Frank Borman and Jim Lovell launched atop a Titan II rocket into an endurance test disguised as a mission. Doctors still weren't certain the human body could tolerate two weeks of weightlessness without serious deterioration, and NASA needed that data before committing to Apollo missions that could last even longer.
The capsule was miserably cramped — the astronauts nicknamed it "the can" — and for nearly two weeks they lived, ate, and slept within inches of each other, unable to fully stretch out. They wore lightweight garments instead of bulky spacesuits for most of the flight to make the confinement bearable, removing them only for brief periods.
The mission's dramatic highlight came when Gemini 6A, carrying Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford, launched to meet them in orbit, closing to within a foot of Gemini 7 — the first time two crewed spacecraft flew in formation. The astronauts grinned at each other through their windows, a small human moment that proved orbital rendezvous, the technique Apollo would depend on to link lunar modules with command ships, was achievable.