Project Gemini. A Chronology

330 Pages·1969·82.908 MB·English

by  Barton C. Hacker, James M. Grimwood, Peter J. Vorzimmer

PROJECT GEMINI
A CHRONOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

SYGNARINE LIBRARY
PROJECT GEMINI
TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS
A CHRONOLOGY
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Frontispiece: Gemini spacecraft No. 7 from the hatch of spacecraft No. 6 on December 15,
1965, during the first successful rendezvous of manned spacecraft in Earth orbit (NASA
Photo8–65–63221,Dec.15,1965.)
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ENGINEERING LIBRARY
NASA SP-4002
PROJECT GEMINI
TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS
A CHRONOLOGY
Preparedby
JamesM. Grimwood and BartonC. Hacker
with PeterJ. Vorzimmer
THENASAHISTORICAL SERIES
LUDSANDSA
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LANOITAN NOITARTS SOcFieFnItiCfiEc OanFdTTEecChHniNcaOlLIOnGfoYrmaUtTiIonLIDZiAviTsIioOnN 1969
U.S.A. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Washington, D.C.
For saleby theSuperintendent ofDocuments
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402
Price $2.75 (paper cover)
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber68-62086
ENNEUNGWAY
629.454
Engin .
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FOREWORD
Gemini was one of the early pioneering efforts in the developing space
capability of this nation. The initiation of this program was timed to take
advantage of the knowledge gained in our first series of manned space flights
Project Mercury. The Mercury program successfully demonstrated manned
orbital flight. Perhaps more important it provided extensive information on
how to build and fly spacecraft for the more complex missions yet to come.
Drawing on this experience, the Gemini program was able to produce for its
time a highly flexible space vehicle of considerable operational capability.
These characteristics enabled a rapid expansion of American flight horizons.
The most significant achievements of Gemini involved precisionmaneuver
ing in orbit and a major extension of the duration of manned space flights.
These included the first rendezvous in orbit of one spacecraft with another and
the docking of two spacecraft together. The docking operation allowedthe use
of a large propulsion system to carry men to greater heights above Earth than
had been previously possible, thereby enabling the astronauts to view and
photograph Earth over extensive areas. Precision maneuvering was also
employed during the very high speed reentry back to the surface of Earth,
enabling accurate landings to be made. The length of our manned space flights
was extended to as long as 14 days, a duration thathasyetto beexceeded as of
this writing, although this was accomplished about three years ago.
Of great general interest were the investigations of the operations of an
astronaut outside the confines of his spacecraft, protected from the hard vac
uum of space by his pressurized space suit. These extravehicular activities did
in fact produce some difficulties, but, in the end, highly successful operations
were conducted.
All of these activities have greatly contributed to expanding activities in
space that we now have underway or will be forthcoming. In Apollo, the pro
gram involved with landing men on the lunar surface, the crews mustbe trans
ported roughly 240,000milestotheMoon andthenbacktoEarth. Thistrip will
take a week or more. The Apollo spacecraft must perform a rendezvous not
near Earth but out at lunar distances in order for this mission to be success
ful. Once again,the astronautsmustleavetheirspacecraftand, intheirpressure
suits, step out onto the lunar surface so that scientific exploration can be con
ducted. The fact that all of these things were initially demonstrated and then
investigated further in a number of the Gemini missions greatly aidsthe devel
opmentofthemoredifficultmissionsthatweareabouttoundertake.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the Gemini program was theman
ner in which the astronauts contributed to the success of each mission. In the
flying of the spacecraft, in the management of the systems, in the overcoming
ofproblems, and in the aidto attainmentof importantscientificand technologi
cal information, their presence enhanced greatly the success of the program .
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PROJECT GEMINI: A CHRONOLOGY
They were backed up by a large and dedicated team of people here on the
ground who designed, developed, and checked out the vehicles and controlled
the flights. The Chronology presented herein as a factual presentationofevents
taken primarily from official documentation of the program . It, therefore,
cannotreflect many ofthe“ behindthe scenes” activitiessoimportanttothe con
duct of a successful program involving exploratory endeavors. The highmoti
vation to makethe Gemini program work,the rapidreaction inovercoming dif
ficulties, large and small, and the attention to detail are all factors contributing
to the ten successful manned flights which provided nearly two thousand man
hoursofdirectspaceflightexperience.
CHARLES W. MATHEWS
Deputy Associate Administrator
Office ofMannedSpaceFlight
September 16, 1968
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CONTENTS
PAGE
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. viii
INTRODUCTION. xiii
PART I-CONCEPT AND DESIGN.. 1
-
PART II-DEVELOPMENT AND QUALIFICATION .. 69
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PART III--FLIGHT TESTS. 173
-- -
APPENDICES 263
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1. GEMINI PROGRAM FLIGHT SUMMARY DATA . 264
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TABLE A: General. 1 264
TABLE B: Orbital Operations.-- --- 1 266
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TABLE C: Project Gemini Experiments.. 268
--
TABLE D: Extravehicular Activity on Gemini Missions. 270
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2. GEMINI PROGRAM AND MISSION OBJECTIVES. 271
- -
3. VEHICLE MANUFACTURING AND TESTING HISTORIES 1 277
--
TABLE A: Gemini Launch Vehicle . 277
TABLE B: Gemini Target Vehicle. 279
---
TABLE C: Gemini Target Launch Vehicle. 280
-- ---
TABLE D: Gemini Spacecraft. 281
4. WORLDWIDE TRACKING NETWORK 282
--
5. COST OF GEMINI PROGRAM .. 283
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6. NASA CENTERS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES PARTIC1I1
PATING IN THE GEMINI PROGRAM .. 283
7. CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, AND VENDORS. 284
8. U.S. MANNED SPACE FLIGHT RECORD, SUMMARY OF MERCURY
AND GEMINI FLIGHTS. 290
INDEX.. 291
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FIGURE PAGE
Frontispiece
First successful rendezvous. ii
1 Proposed mission for modified Mercury capsule. 3
2 Early version of " lifting” Mercury capsule 5
-
3 Proposed version of one-man space station -- 6
4 Orbital operations requiring a rendezvous development program -
8
5 Deployment sequence for Mercury paraglider. 9
6 Interior arrangement for proposed two-man Mercury spacecraft.- 10
7 Adapter section of proposed two-man Mercury spacecraft---- 11
8 Proposed “Lunar Lander" for use with advanced Mercury space
craft: Artist's conception .. 12
9 Drawing of modified Titan II for launch of advanced Mercury--- 13
10 Launch scheduleforfinal version of Mark II Project Development
Plan. 15
11 First publicly released illustration of Gemini spacecraft 20
- --
12 Operating principle of General Electric fuel cell for Gemini. 22
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13 Early conception of rendezvous mission .. 111 23
14 Block diagram of Gemini environmental control system -- 25
15 General arrangement of liquid rocket systems in the Gemini
spacecraft and typical thrust chamber assembly-. 26
16a Gemini flight trainer for crew training- 28
16b Gemini docking trainer for crew training 28
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17 Main elements of the radar rendezvous system on Gemini space
craft and Agena target vehicle--- 29
18 Block diagram of the attitude control and maneuvering electronics
system of Gemini spacecraft. 29
19 Gemini spacecraft landing gear for land landing with the para
glider -- 30
20 Ejection seats in the Gemini spacecraft: Artist's conception -- 1
--- 31
21 Reactant supply system for Gemini fuel cells. 33
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22 Operation of the horizon sensor for Gemini spacecraft_ 1 33
23 Retrograde rocket system for the Gemini spacecraft 34
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24 Gemini spacecraft communications system .. 35
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25 Table showing communiciation functions during a mission 36
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26 Inertial guidance system ... 37
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27 General nomenclature of the Gemini spacecraft. 38
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28 Gemini spacecraft tracking aids 1 39
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29 Block diagram of the Gemini spacecraft guidance and control
system 940
30 Solid -propellant retrograde rocket motor. 45
31 Parachute recovery system for the first Gemini spacecraft. 46
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