Word: gemini
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...turn to gas, build up pressure and push themselves into the cells. And those heaters are among the least complicated devices on the spacecraft: a filament of gold-plated wire curving around the tank. The same type of device is a veteran of all the manned Mer cury and Gemini flights, being used to convert liquid oxygen into gas for the astronauts to breathe. When oxygen pressure started falling in Gemini 5, it was a sure sign that for some reason electricity was not heating that vital filament...
Still Safe. Gemini soared into its second orbit. Over Africa, Cooper ejected the Radar Evaluation Pod precisely on schedule. Though the spring release tossed it out a little harder than anticipated, the mission still seemed safe...
...anxious quiet set in as Gemini 5 swept over the Atlantic on the beginning of its third revolution. Along with most of the U.S., the astronauts' families huddled close to their TV sets, waiting for some word. Almost everyone was convinced that the spacecraft would have to be brought down during the sixth revolution, before its orbital track took it away from the Pacific recovery area that would be its last convenient rescue location for many hours...
...have had a significant pressure rise, please turn your transmitter up and acknowledge." There was no acknowledgement. The pressure had leveled out at 71 Ibs. The sixth revolution was coming up fast, and a decision had to be made soon. If recovery were delayed even one revolution longer, Gemini would not be over a convenient landing area for another 18 hours...
...Gemini 5 sailed off over the South Atlantic on its fifth revolution, Kraft faced his responsibility. Go? Or no go? Should he bring his ship down or reach for 18 revolutions? If he aborted the flight now, the astronauts would land in the Pacific recovery area where there were no helicopters within reach. At 18 revolutions, the spacecraft could splash down southwest of Bermuda, in the primary recovery area. The flight director called in his engineers, conferred with top NASA brass. Pride and prestige were involved; no manned U.S. spacecraft had ever failed to complete its planned mission. But Kraft...