Word: gemini
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Have you got us in sight?" asked Astronaut Tom Stafford as Gemini 9 dropped toward the choppy Atlantic Ocean under its 84-ft. orange-and-white-striped parachute...
...first time in the U.S. manned-space program, a returning spacecraft was landing close enough to the recovery carrier to permit television coverage of its splashdown. Cameras on the deck of the Wasp picked up Gemini as soon as it loomed below the clouds, photographed its recovery by the carrier, and sent the telecast live via Early Bird satellite into millions of American and European homes. For Stafford and Co-pilot Eugene Cernan, who came "right down the pickle barrel"-within four miles of the Wasp-it was a rewarding finish to a flight that had been marred by failure...
Umbilical Dynamics. Plagued by abortive launchings, prevented from docking with the Augmented Target Docking Adapter (ATDA) because its protective shroud had not shaken loose, the two astronauts were exhausted by three difficult but largely successful rendezvous attempts (TIME, June 10). Even so, the Gemini 9 crew hoped to salvage most of the mission by successfully completing their last and most dramatic assignment: Astronaut Cernan's scheduled 21-hour walk in space. "Hallelujah!" shouted Cernan as he opened his hatch and emerged into space on schedule...
Costly Rendezvous. Eager to proceed with the planned docking of Gemini and ATDA, Stafford quickly suggested a solution: to nudge the obstructing shroud out of the way by flying up and hitting it gently with Gemini's docking bar. Safety-conscious controllers in Houston vetoed the scheme, instead electronically commanded ATDA's movable docking collar to extend and contract, in a vain try to shake the shroud loose. Another idea was to allow Astronaut Cernan to pry or cut the shroud loose during his scheduled space walk; this was also rejected for fear that the sharp edges might...
...their second rendezvous, the astronauts maneuvered to a point 13 miles below and behind the ATDA, then again effortlessly closed the gap, using only an on-board computer and a handheld sextant. Next, to simulate an emergency rendezvous during the actual Apollo moon flight, they moved Gemini eight miles above and 86 miles ahead of the ATDA, then attempted to close in again with the aid of ground controllers. This time they ran into trouble-losing sight of the ATDA against the confusing background of the earth below, consuming eleven hours and 30 extra pounds of fuel before accomplishing...