Table Of Content

PROJECT GEMINI A CHRONOLOGY NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SYGNARINE LIBRARY PROJECT GEMINI TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS A CHRONOLOGY 11 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.) i i ENGINEERING LIBRARY NASA SP-4002 PROJECT GEMINI TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS A CHRONOLOGY Preparedby JamesM. Grimwood and BartonC. Hacker with PeterJ. Vorzimmer THENASAHISTORICAL SERIES LUDSANDSA O V N O U N 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 . Å88p 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 . V 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 v i CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. viii INTRODUCTION. xiii PART I-CONCEPT AND DESIGN.. 1 - PART II-DEVELOPMENT AND QUALIFICATION .. 69 ----- PART III--FLIGHT TESTS. 173 -- - APPENDICES 263 - 1. GEMINI PROGRAM FLIGHT SUMMARY DATA . 264 - TABLE A: General. 1 264 TABLE B: Orbital Operations.-- --- 1 266 - - TABLE C: Project Gemini Experiments.. 268 -- TABLE D: Extravehicular Activity on Gemini Missions. 270 - 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 - - 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 vii 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 - 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 - 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 - 22 Operation of the horizon sensor for Gemini spacecraft_ 1 33 23 Retrograde rocket system for the Gemini spacecraft 34 - 24 Gemini spacecraft communications system .. 35 - 25 Table showing communiciation functions during a mission 36 -- 26 Inertial guidance system ... 37 -- 27 General nomenclature of the Gemini spacecraft. 38 - 28 Gemini spacecraft tracking aids 1 39 --- 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 - viii