Gus Grissom flew again today. Three orbits, four hours and fifty-two minutes. He named the capsule Molly Brown — after the “unsinkable” woman from the musical, a deliberate joke about Liberty Bell 7. Anyone who thought Grissom wasn’t in on the joke about his own history was wrong.

He flew with John Young, a rookie, and by all accounts it was a good mission. Grissom manually changed the spacecraft’s orbit — the first orbital maneuver by an American crew, which is a key Gemini milestone. They tested the reentry control system and the capsule’s various attitude control modes. They landed somewhat short of the target, which prompted some discomfort for Grissom, who had a rocky history with splashdowns, but both astronauts were recovered in good health.

Young also, apparently, smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard, which Grissom took a bite of and then put away when crumbs started floating around the cabin. This resulted in a mild congressional inquiry about food safety protocols, which is exactly the kind of thing Congress does when it wants to feel involved.

Grissom is cleared. That’s what Gemini 3 means for me personally. The man who lost Liberty Bell 7 in 1961, who had to endure years of insinuation that he panicked, now commands Gemini 3 and performs a successful orbital maneuver and comes back safely and with dignity. He’s the chief of the astronaut office. He’s going to command Apollo 1 when that comes around.

History is giving Gus Grissom a second chapter, and he’s writing it well.

There are nine more Gemini missions to go. The real tests — rendezvous, docking, spacewalking, long duration — are coming up. But Gemini 3 proves the spacecraft works and the crew can fly it.

Foundation laid. Upward.