The Gemini 2 Mission was very short since it was designed to put extreme stress on the Gemini's heat shield. Almost immediately after exiting the earth's atmosphere, the Gemini fired its thrusters to commence reentry. The heat shield, likely still hot from leaving the atmosphere, survived this very stressful test of its integrity, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. The mission represented a worst case scenario in which faulty equipment might require reentry immediately after the launch had occurred.
