This 1965 two-sided Zippo for the USS Wasp commemorates the recovery of the Gemini 6 Astronauts  Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford on one side, and the Gemini 7 Astronauts Frank Borman and Thomas Lovell on the reverse.  Both missions were carried out in December 1965.

Astronaut Recovery Zippos    

A popular niche of Navy Zippos for collectors commemorate the recovery of astronauts from the space capsules after splash-down.  Also see

The USS Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts, the first men on the moon; in 1969, the year of this Town & Country Zippo.

 The two-sided 1962 Zippo to the left commemorates USS Kearsarge's recovery of Walter Schirra after the 9 hour Mercury  7 orbit mission in October 1962 and Gordon Cooper after the Mercury 8 1 day 10 hour orbit in May 1963 which was the first US space flight exceeding 24 hours. The one-sided Zippo below was probably a presentation lighter for Admiral Karaberis.

This 1962 Zippo commemorates the recovery of John Glenn by USS Noa after completion on the Mercury 3 mission which was the first US manned orbit of the Earth in February 1962. 

Space Zippos

The USS Wasp's recoveries are also commemorated on this Bracroft table lighter Zippo.

Apollo 8 was the first of the Apollo series to successfully orbit the moon, and the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth's gravity and reach the Moon.  This 1968 two-sided slim Zippo commemorates the recovery of astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders by USS Yorktown in December 1968.