Page 13 of 15« First ‹ Previous 10 11 121314 15 Next ›

Mar 06

Space Rocket History #53 – Gemini 2 – Part 1

Posted on March 6, 2014 by spac9750

The bright outlook that was prevalent in April turned dark in the late summer of 1964 when a series of natural disasters struck the Cape. First lightning, then hurricanes, damaged the Gemini 2 launch vehicle to delay its flight long past the scheduled time. Even if the weather had been perfect, McDonnell’s difficulties in getting Spacecraft 2 ready to fly might have compromised the schedule on its own…

Mercury vs. Gemini

Retrograde Adapter

Ejection

First Stage of GLV-2

Instrumentation Pallets in Astronaut Seats

Instrumentation instead of Astronauts

Gemini 2 Launch

Feb 27

Space Rocket History #52 – Gemini 1 – Test Flight – Part 2

Posted on February 27, 2014 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

One second after 11 o’clock Wednesday morning, April 8th 1964, the Titan II booster’s first-stage engine ignited. Four seconds later, the 156 ton vehicle lifted from the pad on that curiously lambent flame so distinctive of Titan II’s hypergolic propellants. Within moments, Gemini-Titan 1 vanished into the hot Florida sky, beyond reach of human senses but not electronic sensors. Telemetry data flowed back to mission controllers at the Cape, telling them that the launch was as nearly perfect as it looked.

Experiment Pallets

Left Instr. Pallet

Gemin 1 Launch

To the Pad

By Dave

Celebration Tang

Feb 20

Space Rocket History #51 – Gemini 1 – Test Flight – Part 1

Posted on February 20, 2014 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“The primary objective of the first Gemini mission, was to prove that the Titan II was capable of launching the Gemini spacecraft into orbit within the tolerances imposed by manned space flight. The secondary objective was for the spacecraft to gather and report data.”

Sequence Compatibility Firing of the two stages of Gemini launch vehicle 1 at pad 19, Jan. 21,1964

Gemini-Titan 1 during Electronic-Electrical Interference Tests with the launch vehicle erector lowered

Gemini boilerplate 3A in the production area at the McDonnell plant before being shipped to Weber Aircraft

Feb 12

Space Rocket History #50 – Blue Gemini – 1963

Posted on February 12, 2014 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“Blue Gemini” was the tag name for an Air Force manned space flight program to develop rendezvous, docking, and transfer for military purposes, using Gemini-type spacecraft. The concept became firmer in June, when the Air Force Space Systems Division (SSD) began working on plans to use Gemini hardware as the first step in a new Air Force man-in-space program called Mods (Manned Orbital Development System), a kind of military space station with Gemini spacecraft as ferry vehicles…