Hey everyone,
The manned crews of Gemini are as follows:
Gemini III (Command Pilot first, Pilot second):
Virgil "Gus" Grissom
John Young
Gemini IV:
James McDivitt
Edward White
Gemini V:
L. Gordon Cooper
Charles "Pete" Conrad
Gemini VI:
Wally Schirra
Thomas Stafford
Gemini VII:
Frank Borman
James Lovell
Gemini VII:
Neil Armstrong
David Scott
Gemini IX:
Thomas Stafford
Eugene Cernan
Gemini X:
John Young
Michael Collins
Gemini XI:
Charles "Pete" Conrad
Richard Gordon
Gemini XII:
James Lovell
Edwin "Buzz" Aldwin
Showing posts with label Project Gemini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Project Gemini. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Gemini XI and XII
Hey everyone,
Project Gemini was coming to an end as the Project Apollo was slotted to begin. There were only two flights left. The Gemini XI mission would be flown by Charles "Pete" Conrad and Richard Gordon. Conrad wanted to fly a mission around the moon, but this wouldn't happen (eventually, his wish would come true). However, they did rendezvous immediately after reaching orbit with the Agena to simulate a lunar rendezvous. Gordon made two spacewalks, but he succumbed to exhaustion as other space walkers had. Another EVA was attempted, but it was just a stand up space walk. However, they would reach the highest Earth orbit by an American manned spacecraft, a record that still stands today. They also conducted experiments relating to the human body as had the other Gemini missions. Re-entry was done by computer and landed 4.5km from their intended landing site.
The final manned Gemini flight would have to prove that a man could maneuver easily and work efficiently outside the craft. Jim Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin manned this mission which utilized underwater training to simulate space. Foot holds and hand bars were introduced to the spacecraft for increased maneuvering. The other aspects of the mission were routine at this point. Finally,all of the Project Gemini objectives had been completed. With 1967 looming, time was running out, and the goal of the moon by December 31st, 1969 would need a major step forward. The journey would be fraught with excitement as well as tragedy. However, the tragedy came first.
Project Gemini was coming to an end as the Project Apollo was slotted to begin. There were only two flights left. The Gemini XI mission would be flown by Charles "Pete" Conrad and Richard Gordon. Conrad wanted to fly a mission around the moon, but this wouldn't happen (eventually, his wish would come true). However, they did rendezvous immediately after reaching orbit with the Agena to simulate a lunar rendezvous. Gordon made two spacewalks, but he succumbed to exhaustion as other space walkers had. Another EVA was attempted, but it was just a stand up space walk. However, they would reach the highest Earth orbit by an American manned spacecraft, a record that still stands today. They also conducted experiments relating to the human body as had the other Gemini missions. Re-entry was done by computer and landed 4.5km from their intended landing site.
The final manned Gemini flight would have to prove that a man could maneuver easily and work efficiently outside the craft. Jim Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin manned this mission which utilized underwater training to simulate space. Foot holds and hand bars were introduced to the spacecraft for increased maneuvering. The other aspects of the mission were routine at this point. Finally,all of the Project Gemini objectives had been completed. With 1967 looming, time was running out, and the goal of the moon by December 31st, 1969 would need a major step forward. The journey would be fraught with excitement as well as tragedy. However, the tragedy came first.
Gemini X
Hey everyone,
Gemini X was the third to last manned flight of Project Gemini. John Young would command this flight with Michael Collins as his Pilot. This mission set bold objectives which were supposed to be accomplished in the previous two missions. This mission would include two rendezvous and two EVAs. The first rendezvous and EVA were simple and executed with ease. The crew docked with their Agena craft for their first rendezvous and Collins stood in the open hatch and took pictures during his first EVA. Soon, they undocked from the Agena and set a course for the Gemini VIII Agena. After some difficulty, they found it and floated 3 meters away from it. Collins began his second EVA where he retrieved a Micrometeorite Collector from their Agena, but he also space walked over to the other Agena and collected the Micrometeorite Collector from that craft as well. A gas gun, used for mobility, was also being tested. Collins used it to move around the Gemini X craft, but it would fail after 25 minutes which would end the EVA. It would take eight minutes to finally close the hatch once Collins was inside again showing the difficulties of space walks. A few other experiments were conducted during the mission, and this mission showed that radiation at high altitude was not a problem. No major problems occurred during the flight, and they returned to Earth after three days in space.
Gemini X was the third to last manned flight of Project Gemini. John Young would command this flight with Michael Collins as his Pilot. This mission set bold objectives which were supposed to be accomplished in the previous two missions. This mission would include two rendezvous and two EVAs. The first rendezvous and EVA were simple and executed with ease. The crew docked with their Agena craft for their first rendezvous and Collins stood in the open hatch and took pictures during his first EVA. Soon, they undocked from the Agena and set a course for the Gemini VIII Agena. After some difficulty, they found it and floated 3 meters away from it. Collins began his second EVA where he retrieved a Micrometeorite Collector from their Agena, but he also space walked over to the other Agena and collected the Micrometeorite Collector from that craft as well. A gas gun, used for mobility, was also being tested. Collins used it to move around the Gemini X craft, but it would fail after 25 minutes which would end the EVA. It would take eight minutes to finally close the hatch once Collins was inside again showing the difficulties of space walks. A few other experiments were conducted during the mission, and this mission showed that radiation at high altitude was not a problem. No major problems occurred during the flight, and they returned to Earth after three days in space.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Gemini 9A
Hey everyone,
Gemini 9A was the 7th manned flight of Project Gemini. The original crew of Elliot See and Charles Basset were killed in an airplane crash outside of St. Louis, MO in 1966. They were replaced by Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan. Again, they would rendezvous with an Agena vehicle and attempt a space walk. The first launch of the Agena failed and another rocket was launched two weeks later. The rendezvous was successful, but Cernan's EVA was another story. Cernan struggled with his tasks and fell behind quickly as his visor fogged. At the rear of the ship was the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU) which was a rocket pack type device, but a lack of hand and foot holds with the fogged visor soon caused exhaustion. His heart rate soared to 195 beats per minutes which led to the shortening of the EVA. Cernan had been outside the craft for 128 minutes. After conducting a few experiments, they prepared for re-entry and splashed down within 700 meters of their intended landing. The EVA problems would later resolved.
Gemini 9A was the 7th manned flight of Project Gemini. The original crew of Elliot See and Charles Basset were killed in an airplane crash outside of St. Louis, MO in 1966. They were replaced by Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan. Again, they would rendezvous with an Agena vehicle and attempt a space walk. The first launch of the Agena failed and another rocket was launched two weeks later. The rendezvous was successful, but Cernan's EVA was another story. Cernan struggled with his tasks and fell behind quickly as his visor fogged. At the rear of the ship was the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU) which was a rocket pack type device, but a lack of hand and foot holds with the fogged visor soon caused exhaustion. His heart rate soared to 195 beats per minutes which led to the shortening of the EVA. Cernan had been outside the craft for 128 minutes. After conducting a few experiments, they prepared for re-entry and splashed down within 700 meters of their intended landing. The EVA problems would later resolved.
Gemini VIII
Hey everyone,
Gemini VIII was the sixth manned space flight of Project Gemini with Neil Armstrong as the command pilot and David Scott as the pilot. This would be their first spaceflight. There were two primary objectives for this mission: to accomplish an in-orbit rendezvous and docking and to accomplish an extended EVA. The vehicle with which they were to dock was known as the Agena. It was launched the same day as the Gemini VIII crew and would dock the same day. They approached the craft slowly and inspected it once they flew near the craft. After confirming that there was no damage, Armstrong docked with the Agena, and their first objective was complete. The mission would continue with the Agena attached, and the craft would aid in steering. After executing a turn with the Agena, the craft started to roll. Eventually, the roll would be able to be fixed, so they undocked with the Agena. However, the roll began again. The roll would reach one revolution per second putting the lives of the astronauts in danger. Finally, on the verge of blackout, Armstrong used the Re-entry Control System reaction control system (RCS) to stop the spin. It worked, but the mission was now done due to mission parameters that stated a mission had to be aborted once the RCS was activated. They orbited once before they re-entered and landed. The Pacific Ocean near Japan was the landing site. Due to their excellent ability and cool headedness in handling the situation, Armstrong and Scott were given prominent roles in later spaceflights. Of course, these will be discussed in later posts.
Gemini VIII was the sixth manned space flight of Project Gemini with Neil Armstrong as the command pilot and David Scott as the pilot. This would be their first spaceflight. There were two primary objectives for this mission: to accomplish an in-orbit rendezvous and docking and to accomplish an extended EVA. The vehicle with which they were to dock was known as the Agena. It was launched the same day as the Gemini VIII crew and would dock the same day. They approached the craft slowly and inspected it once they flew near the craft. After confirming that there was no damage, Armstrong docked with the Agena, and their first objective was complete. The mission would continue with the Agena attached, and the craft would aid in steering. After executing a turn with the Agena, the craft started to roll. Eventually, the roll would be able to be fixed, so they undocked with the Agena. However, the roll began again. The roll would reach one revolution per second putting the lives of the astronauts in danger. Finally, on the verge of blackout, Armstrong used the Re-entry Control System reaction control system (RCS) to stop the spin. It worked, but the mission was now done due to mission parameters that stated a mission had to be aborted once the RCS was activated. They orbited once before they re-entered and landed. The Pacific Ocean near Japan was the landing site. Due to their excellent ability and cool headedness in handling the situation, Armstrong and Scott were given prominent roles in later spaceflights. Of course, these will be discussed in later posts.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Gemini VIa and VII
Hey everyone,
Gemini VIa and VII were the first spaceships to rendezvous in space. While this would accomplish one of the primary objectives of Project Gemini, many problems would have to be overcome. Gemini VIa was manned by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford. However, their first launch attempt failed when a plug fell out of the bottom of the rocket, starting the onboard computer. When no upward motion was detected, the mission was automatically aborted by the computer. However, Schirra and Stafford did not eject from the craft like the mission rules dictated. Schirra made this decision, and the crew walked off of the spacecraft. This was the second major problem for the Gemini VIa crew. The first occurred when an Agena Target Vehicle (see Gemini VIII) failed soon after launch which caused an abort of their first launch. Finally, on the third attempt, they launched into space where they met up with Gemini VII which was manned by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. They launched before Gemini VIa and were in space for 14 days. Gemini VIa met up with the other craft, and they rendezvoused for a time. Gemini VIa soon left for re-entry and landing which was very accurate. Upon this re-entry and landing, another objective of Project Gemini had been accomplished by the crew of Gemini VIa. Project Gemini would continue with Gemini VIII.
Gemini VIa and VII were the first spaceships to rendezvous in space. While this would accomplish one of the primary objectives of Project Gemini, many problems would have to be overcome. Gemini VIa was manned by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford. However, their first launch attempt failed when a plug fell out of the bottom of the rocket, starting the onboard computer. When no upward motion was detected, the mission was automatically aborted by the computer. However, Schirra and Stafford did not eject from the craft like the mission rules dictated. Schirra made this decision, and the crew walked off of the spacecraft. This was the second major problem for the Gemini VIa crew. The first occurred when an Agena Target Vehicle (see Gemini VIII) failed soon after launch which caused an abort of their first launch. Finally, on the third attempt, they launched into space where they met up with Gemini VII which was manned by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. They launched before Gemini VIa and were in space for 14 days. Gemini VIa met up with the other craft, and they rendezvoused for a time. Gemini VIa soon left for re-entry and landing which was very accurate. Upon this re-entry and landing, another objective of Project Gemini had been accomplished by the crew of Gemini VIa. Project Gemini would continue with Gemini VIII.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Gemini V
Hey everyone,
Project Gemini continued with its third manned spaceflight. L. Gordon Cooper, a Mercury veteran, acted as the Command Pilot for this mission while Charles "Pete" Conrad was the Pilot. The flight lasted 8 days and had a practice space rendezvous which proved unsuccessful. Problems began to develop with fuel cells and several experiments were canceled. The astronauts had some down time in space, and Conrad remarked that he hadn't brought a book. They returned to Earth safely, but Cooper would not fly again after Gemini. Conrad on the other hand would have a storied career in space. Other flights would address the rendezvous problems and continue towards the goal of the moon.
P. S. Sorry for the short length.
Project Gemini continued with its third manned spaceflight. L. Gordon Cooper, a Mercury veteran, acted as the Command Pilot for this mission while Charles "Pete" Conrad was the Pilot. The flight lasted 8 days and had a practice space rendezvous which proved unsuccessful. Problems began to develop with fuel cells and several experiments were canceled. The astronauts had some down time in space, and Conrad remarked that he hadn't brought a book. They returned to Earth safely, but Cooper would not fly again after Gemini. Conrad on the other hand would have a storied career in space. Other flights would address the rendezvous problems and continue towards the goal of the moon.
P. S. Sorry for the short length.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Gemini III
Hey everyone,
Gemini III was the first manned flight of the program with Virgil Grissom as the command pilot and John Young as the pilot. Their spacecraft was named the Molly Brown, and they launched on March 23, 1965. They only had one objective which was an orbital maneuver by a manned spacecraft, and they were successful. It was also the first American spaceflight that carried two men into space. During the flight, Young hid a corned beef sandwich on board and tried to consume it, but it began to fall apart. Once they landed 84 kilometers short of their intended splashdown point, they were reprimanded for this action. Grissom would never fly into space again, but Young would make many more journeys into space. These will be discussed in later blogs.
Gemini III was the first manned flight of the program with Virgil Grissom as the command pilot and John Young as the pilot. Their spacecraft was named the Molly Brown, and they launched on March 23, 1965. They only had one objective which was an orbital maneuver by a manned spacecraft, and they were successful. It was also the first American spaceflight that carried two men into space. During the flight, Young hid a corned beef sandwich on board and tried to consume it, but it began to fall apart. Once they landed 84 kilometers short of their intended splashdown point, they were reprimanded for this action. Grissom would never fly into space again, but Young would make many more journeys into space. These will be discussed in later blogs.
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