Rendezvous

Rendezvous, from the French rendez-vous meaning “present yourselves” or “a meeting,” is a planned encounter at a specified time and place between two or more people, vehicles, or organizations. In English usage it denotes a coordinated meeting or convergence point and can apply to social, business, or logistical contexts.

In general use, a rendezvous describes an arranged meeting or a designated meeting place. A rendezvous point is a location where participants are expected to come together, and the term also appears in military and emergency planning to coordinate movements or transfers.

In aviation, maritime, and space contexts, a rendezvous refers to the coordinated approach of two assets so they arrive in proximity, often for docking, refueling, or exchange of cargo or personnel. It requires careful timing, navigation, and sometimes automated guidance systems or human pilots.

In spaceflight, orbital rendezvous involves bringing two spacecraft to the same orbit and the same position, followed by docking, berthing, or proximity operations. The technique depends on orbital mechanics, phasing, and precision propulsion, and may be autonomous or crewed. The Gemini program demonstrated the first successful orbital rendezvous in 1965 (Gemini 6A with Gemini 7), and rendezvous has since been a routine element of Apollo lunar missions and ongoing operations with the International Space Station.

Rendezvous also appears in social or romantic contexts as a planned meeting between individuals, though its formal usage remains common in planning and operations.