Michael Collins was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. He served as backup pilot for the Gemini VII mission. As pilot on the 3-day Gemini X mission. Collins shared with command pilot John Young in the accomplishments of that record-setting flight. These accomplishments included a successful rendzvous and docking with a seperately launched Agena maneuvering the Gemini spacecraft into another orbit for a rendezvous with a second passive Agena.