On The Shoulder Of Titans. A History of Project Gemini

Description

Gemini was the intermediate space flight program between America's first steps into space with Mercury and the amazing­ and unprecedented accomplishments achieved during the manned lunar expeditions of Apollo. Because of its position between these two other efforts, Gemini is probably less remembered. Still, it more than had its place in man's progress into this new frontier. Gemini accomplishments were manyfold. They included many firsts: first astronaut-controlled maneuvering in space; first rendezvous in space of one spacecraft with another; first docking of one spacecraft with a propulsive stage and use of that stage to trans£er man to high altitude; first traverse of man into the Earth's radiation belts; first extended manned flights of a week or more in duration; first extended stays of man outside his spacecraft; first controlled reentry and precision landing; and many more. These achievements were significant in ways one cannot truly evaluate even today, but two things stand out: (I) it was the time when America caught up and surpassed the Soviet Union in manned space flight, and (2) these demonstrations of capability were an absolute prerequisite to the phenomenal Apollo accomplishments then yet to come. America's first manned space flight program, Mercury, involved a careful buildup of flight duration to slightly beyond one day with accompanying concerns about man's physiological response to weightlessness and other aspects of his safety and well being. In the meantime, the Russian effort had achieved durations of five days, flight of a multiple crew shortly after the Mercury Program had terminated, and the first extravehicular operation by a cosmonaut shortly before the first manned Gemini flight. The question at that time was who would perform the first rendezvous, seen as a very complex operation but absolutely needed for future space endeavors. ON THE SHOULDERS OF TITANS A History of Project Gemini Foreword Contents List of Illustrations Preface I Between Mercury and Apollo THE BACKGROUND OF RENDEZVOUS CHALLENGE FROM THE FIELD MERCURY AS PROLOGUE NASA AFTER Two YEARS NASA TEN YEAR PLAN II The Transmutation of Mercury NEW DIRECTIONS STG PLUNGES AHEAD DIRECT ASCENT VERSUS RENDEZVOUS THE ADVANCED CAPSULE DESIGN MODIFICATION OR TRANSMUTATION A TECHNOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE III From Spacecraft to Project MORE THAN A SPACECRAFT FLIGHT MISSION REACHING FOR THE MOON MERCURY MARK II BEGINS THE LAST OBSTACLES JUSTIFICATION FOR GEMINI IV Organizing Project Gemini THE PRIME CONTRACTS RUNNING THE NEW PROJECT THE CONTRACTORS GET MOVING THE PARA GLIDER CONTROVERSY A QUICK SMOOTH START V Expansion and Crisis CHANGING PLANS AND RISING COSTS SOME FORESEEABLE PROBLEMS AND A SURPRISE THE BUDGET CRISIS REPROGRAMMING GEMINI THE PROSPECT FOR 1963 V I Challenge and Change BLUE GEMINI CHAMBERLIN DEPARTS GEMINI REGROUPS ATTACKING PARAGLIDER AND TITANIIl PROBLEMS A CLOUDED FUTURE V I I The Darkest Hour TIT AN II IN JEOPARDY PARAGLIDER ON THE WANE SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS BECOME MORE TROUBLESOME A NEW HEADACHE SIL VER LININGS V I I I Gemini Rising TITAN II MAKES THE GRADE, BUT NOT PARAGLIDER MONEY AND MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS AGAIN A SET OF BREAKTHROUGHS Tow ARD GEMINI-TIT AN 1 TIGHTENING LAUNCH SCHEDULES I X A Taste of Success THE FIRST FLIGHT POSTSCRIPTS AND PROSPECTS GLV-2 AND THE ELEMENTS SETBACK AND SUCCESS DOWN TO THE WIRE A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE X The Last Hurdle THE MEN FOR GEMINI 3 THE MACHINES FOR GEMINI 3 PLANS FOR GEMINI 3 MANEUVERS OF "MOLLY BROWN" X I Pillars of Confidence FOUR DAYS AND A "WALK" PRELUDE TO GEMINI V THE COVERED WAGON X I I "Spirit of '76" "No JOY, No JOY" THE VII/VI-A DECISION SUITCASE FOR A FORTNIGHT Two WEEKS IN A SPACECRAFT Go BACK TO "Go" THE VISITORS THE HOME STRETCH X I I I Agena on Trial SICKNESS TO HEALTH AN ALTERNATIVE TARGET EXTRA VEHICULAR ACTIVITY PREPARATIONS MISSION PLANNING COMES OF AGE THE WHIRLIGIG AGENA'S SOLO X I V Charting New Space Lanes TRAGEDY THE WHAT AND How DEBATES PREP ARA TIO NS FOR GEMINI IX ATTEMPTED LAUNCHES AN ANGRY ALLIGATOR LA YING NEW TRACKS THE SWITCH ENGINE XV The Final Curtain PLOTTING THE WAY UP A HIGH RIDE THE EV A REVIEW BOARD THE FINALE SUMMING UP GEMINI EARTH PHOTOGRAPHS An Epilogue GEOLOGY OCEANOGRAPHY WEATHER WATER RESOURCES SOURCE NOTES, BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE, APPENDIXES, AND INDEX Source Notes Bibliographical Note People Interviewed Appendix A Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms Appendix B Flight Data Summary Appendix C Astronaut Flight Assignments Appendix D Appendix E Costs Appendix F Worldwide Tracking Network Appendix G Department of Defense Support Index THE AUTHORS NASA HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS HISTORIES REFERENCE WORKS