Word: orbital
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...Olsen and Paul Betz, Luci's previous best beaux, had a successor. The reason for the recognition lapse was simply that her new escort, with his aseptic, athletic good looks, short blond hair and modest mien, resembled any number of the Secret Service agents in Luci's orbit...
...including ranking authorities on subjects ranging from Sinology to outer space. The organization's first report in 1946 was a carefully reasoned study that demonstrated the feasibility of employing spaceships in weather forecasting and military reconnaissance. In June 1957, Rand warned the Air Force that the Russians would orbit their first satellite around Sept. 17, 1957. Sputnik went up on Oct. 4 of that year...
Brute-Force Buttonhook. The fuel problem arose during Gemini 10's tricky fourth-orbit rendezvous with Agena 10. To determine the final thrust required for the interception, Young and Collins used data from the on-board radar, inertial guidance and computer system. In some as yet unknown way, the system produced a figure nearly 7 ft. per sec. greater than the figure radioed up from ground control. When Collins' own slide-rule tabulation agreed with the spacecraft guidance system, Command Pilot Young chose to go with the double-checked on-board answer...
...minutes into the maneuver, Young realized that he had overthrust and was headed into an orbit aiming him several miles behind and above the Agena. Jamming his control stick down, Young dived the spacecraft in a brute-force attempt to get back on the correct trajectory. He failed, but finally did manage to swerve the spacecraft into a nearly normal "buttonhook" rendezvous. Though his quick thinking saved the maneuver, the incident burned up 268 more lbs. of precious propellant than mission plans had anticipated...
...engine. "It may be only one g.," said Young, "but it's the biggest one g. we ever saw." Because the thrust was against the direction of flight, it had a braking effect, reducing Gemini-Agena's velocity and cutting the apogee of its orbit from 476 to 245 miles. A final maneuver placed the astronauts in a 240-mile circular orbit slightly inside the path of Agena 8, now 1,245 miles ahead...