Posted on February 26, 2015
Max Faget thought the first stage of the moon rocket should use four solid-fueled engines, 6.6 meters in diameter. He reasoned these could certainly accomplish whatever mission was required of either the Saturn or Nova, and it would be more cost eff...
John_Houbolt_and_LOR2
Earth Orbit Rendezvous
Apollo_Direct_Ascent
Tagged:Albert Clagett, Apollo, C 2 Saturn, C 4, Cape Kennedy, Charles Houbolt, Charles Mattews, Circumlunar, Congress, Dave Lang, Docking, Eor, Exploration, F 100, F 86, Faget, Feasibility Studies, Fleming, General Electric, George Low, Gilruth, Glennan, Goett, Golovin, Heinrich Weigand, History, Hjornevik, Hound Dog, Hugh Dryden, James Chamberlin, James Webb, Jerome Wiesner, Jfk, John Rubel, Jpl, Kavanau, Kennedy, Kieth Glennan, Kleinknecht, Koppenhaver, Langley, Lbj, Lor, Lovelace Foundation, Low, Lunar, Lunar Module, Lundin, Lyndon Johnson, Marshall Space Flight Center, Martin, Martin Company, Matthew Collins, Mcdonnell, Moon, Nasa, Navajo, North American Aviation, Nova, Oswald Lange, Piland, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Robert Mcnamara, Robert Seamans, Rocket, Saturn, Saturn C 3, Seamans, Soviet, Space, Space Task Group, Sputnik, Von Braun, X 15
Posted on March 26, 2015
The mode that Apollo would use to land on the moon was the most studied, analyzed, and debated decision made for the lunar landing program. There were four main choices Direct-ascent, Earth-Orbit Rendezvous, Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous, and Lunar Surface...
two landing techniques proposed for the direct ascent mode
SA-1
RendezvousMethods
proposed lunar-surface-rendezvous procedure, a propellant-transfer vehicle takes fuel from the tanker to a manned space vehicle. After loading the fuel, the two astronauts would fire the engine of their spacecraft to return to the earth
Major configuration changes in the Apollo spacecraft from May 1960 to July 1962
Early design concepts of C-1 and C-5 versions of the Saturn launch vehicles
A ferry that would leave a command ship in orbit around the moon, visit the lunar surface, and then return to the command ship for the voyage back to the earth
Tagged:Abe Silverstein, Abma, Apollo, Arthur Bogeley, Astraco, Bell Aerosystems, C 2 Saturn, Cape Kennedy, Charles Houbolt, Charles Mattews, Clinton Brown, Congress, Direct Ascent, Docking, Dolan, Donald Heaton, E J Daniels, Earth0orbit, Eldon Hall, Eor, Exploration, Faget, Fleming, Gilruth, Glennan, Golovin, History, Hugh Dryden, Huntsville, Institute Of Aerospace Sciences, J R Clark, James Webb, Jfk, John Bird, John Cord, John Rubel, Jpl, Juno V, Kavanau, Kennedy, Kieth Glennan, Koppenhaver, Kurbjun, Kurt Strass, Langley, Leonard Seale, Lor, Lunar, Lunar Module, Lunar Orbit, Lundin, Lunex, Marshall Space Flight Center, Max Faget, Mode, Moon, Nasa, Nova, Owen Maynard, Paul Purser, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Robert Oneal, Robert Seamans, Rocket, Saturn, Saturn C 3, Seamans, Soviet, Space, Space Task Group, Von Braun, William Fleming, William Michael, William Pickering
Posted on April 2, 2015
Langley’s brochure for the Golovin Committee described Lunar landers of varied sizes and payload capabilities. There were illustrations and data on a very small lander that was able to carry one man for 2 to 4 hours on the moon. There was an “econo...
Early design concepts of C-1 and C-5 versions of the Saturn launch vehicles
NASA announced selection of the lunar-orbit-rendezvous landing technique at an 11 July 1962 press conference. left to right James E. Webb, Robert C. Seamans, Jr., D. Brainerd Holmes, and Joseph F. Shea
Harry C. Shoaf (Space Task Group Engineering Division 15 November 1961 of a proposed lunar lander to be used with an advanced version of the Mercury spacecraft
concept of a small lunar lander during descent to the surface of the moon, as proposed by Langley Research Center employees in October 1961
Tagged:Abe Silverstein, Abma, Alfred Eggers, Ames Research Center, Apollo, Brainerd Holmes, Caldwell Johnson, Charles Frick, Charles Houbolt, Charles Mattews, Charlie Fricks Road Show, Clinton Brown, Congress, Direct Ascent, Docking, Dolan, Eldon Hall, Eor, Exploration, Faget, Fleming, General Dynamics Convair, George Low, Gilruth, Golovin, Harold Hornby, History, Holmes, Houbolt, Houston, Hugh Dryden, Huntsville, James Chamberlin, James Webb, Jfk, John Eggleston, Joseph Shea, Jpl, Kennedy, Kurt Strass, Langley, Lewis Research Center, Lina, Lindsay, Lor, Lunar, Lunar Crasher, Lunar Module, Lunar Orbit Rendezvous, Lunar Orbit, Manned Space Flight, Manned Spacecraft Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Max Faget, Mode, Moon, Nasa, Nova, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Robert Seamans, Rocket, Saturn, Saturn C 5, Seamans, Soviet, Space, Space Task Group, Spacecraft Research Division, Vogeley, Von Braun, Vought, William Rector
Posted on April 9, 2015
“I would like to reiterate once more that it is absolutely mandatory that we arrive at a definite mode decision within the next few weeks. . . . If we do not make a clear-cut decision on the mode very soon, our chances of accomplishing the first luna...
Shea uses models to demonstrate how the lunar module would dock with the command module
Rocket Comparison
Lunar orbit insertion
Tagged:Abe Silverstein, Abma, Alfred Eggers, Ames Research Center, Apollo, Brainerd Holmes, Caldwell Johnson, Charles Frick, Charles Houbolt, Charles Mattews, Charlie Fricks Road Show, Clinton Brown, Congress, Csm, Direct Ascent, Docking, Dolan, Douglas, Dryden, Eldon Hall, Eor, Exploration, Faget, Fleming, General Dynamics Convair, George Low, Gilruth, Golovin, Grumman, Harold Hornby, History, Holmes, Houbolt, Houston, Hugh Dryden, Huntsville, James Chamberlin, James Webb, Jerome Wiesner, Jfk, John Eggleston, Joseph Shea, Jpl, Kennedy, Kurt Strass, Langley, Lem, Lewis Research Center, Lina, Lindsay, Lor, Lunar, Lunar Crasher, Lunar Module, Lunar Orbit Rendezvous, Lunar Orbit, Manned Space Flight, Manned Spacecraft Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Max Faget, Mode, Moon, Msc, Msfc, Nasa, Nicholas Golovin, Nova, Presidents Science Advisory Committee, Project Apollo, Psac, Rca, Rendezvous, Robert Seamans, Rocket, Saturn, Saturn C 5, Saturn C 8, Saturn C Ib, Seamans, Soviet, Space, Space Task Group, Spacecraft Research Division, Vogeley, Von Braun, Vought, William Rector
Posted on October 2, 2014
Collins emerged from the spacecraft at dawn. Like Gene Cernan on Gemini IX-A, he found that all tasks took longer than he expected. But he was able to retrieve the package from the exterior of his spacecraft…
gemini-10_recovery
gemini_11_splashdown_recovery_print-r5a59c8d7c6244f54af0dc3eba26b9a72_wa3_8byvr_512
G10RecoveryCertificate
DaveG10
Tagged:Agena, Agena 10, Agena 8, Apollo, Capcom, Cape Kennedy, Carnarvon, Charles Mattews, Charlesworth, Docking, Eva, Exploration, Gatv, Gemini 10, Gemini 4, Gemini 5, Gemini 6, Gemini 8, Gemini 9, Gemini 9a, Gemini Ix, Gemini Ix A, Gemini Ixa, Gemini Project, Gemini Project Office, Gemini V, Gemini Vi, Gemini Viii, Gemini X, Gpo, Hasselblad, Hawaii, History, Houston, John Young, Lunney, Mcdonnell, Mike Collins, Mission Control Center, Msc, Mueller, Nasa, Paul Haney, Rendezvous, Rocket, Shuttle, South Atlantic Anomaly, Space, Space Station, Sunday School, Umbillical
Posted on October 9, 2014
Some significant goals had been set for the last two Gemini flights. For example, the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office wanted a rendezvous in the first spacecraft orbit, which would simulate lunar orbit rendezvous. There was also interest in linking ...
scan0704
RichardFGordon
320px-Gemini_11_patch
agena 11
Gemini_11_prime_crew_(Gordon_and_Conrad)
Gemini_11_Gordon_suits_up for G11
Tagged:A 4d, Agena, Agena 10, Agena 11, Agena 8, Amu, Apollo, Artificial Gravity, Autopilot, Bendix Trophy Race, Capcom, Cape Kennedy, Carnarvon, Charles Mattews, Docking, Eva, Exploration, F 11f, F 4h, F 8u, Gatv, Gemini 10, Gemini 4, Gemini 5, Gemini 6, Gemini 8, Gemini 9, Gemini 9a, Gemini Ix, Gemini Ix A, Gemini Ixa, Gemini Project, Gemini Project Office, Gemini V, Gemini Vi, Gemini Viii, Gemini X, Gemini Xii, Gordon Cooper, Gpo, Hasselblad, Hawaii, History, Houston, John Young, Lunney, Mcdonnell, Mike Collins, Mission Control Center, Msc, Mueller, Nasa, Niel Armstrong, Pete Conrad, Poulsbo, Rendezvous, Richard Gordon, Robert Seamans, Rocket, Seattle, Space, Space Station, Sunday School, Umbillical, Uss Ranger, Vf 121, Vf 96, William Anders
Posted on October 16, 2014
Conrad shouted to Gordon “Ride ’em, cowboy!” Gordon was Riding bareback, with his feet and legs wedged between the docked vehicles. In practice sessions in zero-g aircraft flights, Gordon had been able to push himself forward, straddle the reentry a...
Gordon Astride Agena
agena 11
1024px-Gemini_Profiles
Tagged:Agena, Agena 11, Apollo, Artificial Gravity, Capcom, Cape Kennedy, Carnarvon, Charles Mattews, Charlesworth, Docking, Eva, Exploration, Gatv, Gemini 10, Gemini 4, Gemini 5, Gemini 6, Gemini 8, Gemini 9, Gemini 9a, Gemini Ix, Gemini Ix A, Gemini Ixa, Gemini Project, Gemini Project Office, Gemini V, Gemini Vi, Gemini Viii, Gemini X, Gemini Xii, Gpo, Guenter Wendt, Hawaii, History, Houston, Ivar, James Elms, John Young, Lunney, M Equals 1, Mcdonnell, Mike Collins, Mission Control Center, Msc, Mueller, Nasa, Pete Conrad, Rendezvous, Richard Gordon, Rocket, Rose Knot Victor, Space, Tananarive, Tether, Umbillical, Vf 121, William Anders, William Schneider
Posted on October 23, 2014
The rotation rate checked out at 55 degrees per minute, and the crew could now test for a minute amount of artificial gravity. When they put a camera against the instrument panel and then let it go, it moved in a straight line to the rear of the cock...
Recovery of G11
mySuperLamePic_4b6522ec730b0c0a85b7ed20f7c4f00f
G11 parachute
Agena Tether Experiment
Tagged:Agena, Agena 11, Apollo, Artificial Gravity, Bean, Canary Islands, Capcom, Cape Kennedy, Carnarvon, Cernan, Charles Mattews, Charlesworth, Coincident Orbit, Computer Controlled Reentry, Docking, Eva, Exploration, Gatv, Gemini 10, Gemini 4, Gemini 5, Gemini 6, Gemini 8, Gemini 9, Gemini 9a, Gemini Ix, Gemini Ix A, Gemini Ixa, Gemini Project, Gemini Project Office, Gemini V, Gemini Vi, Gemini Viii, Gemini X, Gemini Xii, Gpo, Gravity Gradient, Hawaii, History, Houston, John Young, Lunney, M Equals 1, Mcdonnell, Mission Control Center, Msc, Mueller, Nasa, Pete Conrad, Pps, Rendezvous, Richard Gordon, Rocket, Rose Knot Victor, Space, Stafford, Tananarive, Tether, Umbillical, Uss Guam, Velcro, William Schneider
Posted on October 30, 2014
When the Gemini IX-A Agena fell into the Atlantic Ocean, Gemini XII was threatened with a major hardware shortage of an Agena and an Atlas to launch it. Replacing the Agena was no real problem. Lockheed’s first production model, 5001, used for devel...
p3-AldrinLovell
p2-Aldrin Lovell Cernan Cooper
p-1G12Patch
gemini-12_2
Agena12
Tagged:Agena, Agena 12, Agena 5001, Amu, Apollo, Buzz Aldrin, Cape Kennedy, Cernan, Charles Mattews, Charlesworth, Colonel John Albert, Computer Controlled Reentry, Docking, Edwin Aldrin, Eva, Exploration, Francis Carey, Gatv, Gemini 10, Gemini 12, Gemini 4, Gemini 5, Gemini 6, Gemini 8, Gemini 9, Gemini 9a, Gemini Ix, Gemini Ix A, Gemini Ixa, Gemini Mission Review Board, Gemini Project, Gemini Project Office, Gemini V, Gemini Vi, Gemini Viii, Gemini X, Gemini Xii, Gpo, Gravity Gradient, Hawaii, History, Houston, John Young, Keplerian Trajectory, Langley Research Center, Lunney, M Equals 1, Major General Ben Funk, Maryland, Mcdonnell, Mcdonogh, Mike Collins, Mission Control Center, Msc, Mueller, Nasa, Pete Conrad, Rendezvous, Richard Gordon, Rocket, Space, Stafford, Tether, Umbillical, William Schneider
Posted on November 6, 2014
In space, Jim and Buzz began to wonder if everything had been shut down too soon. For 25 minutes, with one brief exception, they heard nothing from the ground. The Ascension Island tracking station had the wrong acquisition time, so its communicators...
Agena12tether
buzzViewHatchOpen
Gemini_XII_Mission_Image_-_Solar_Eclipse
G12 tether
buzzadrinview
Tagged:Agena, Agena 12, Apollo, Buzz Aldrin, Cape Kennedy, Charles Mattews, Charlesworth, Coastal Sentry Qebec, Computer Controlled Reentry, Conrad, Csq, Docking, Edwin Aldrin, Eva, Exploration, Fuel Cell, Gatv, Gemini 10, Gemini 12, Gemini 4, Gemini 5, Gemini 6, Gemini 8, Gemini 9, Gemini 9a, Gemini Ix, Gemini Ix A, Gemini Ixa, Gemini Mission Review Board, Gemini Project, Gemini Project Office, Gemini V, Gemini Vi, Gemini Viii, Gemini X, Gemini Xii, Gpo, Gravity Gradient, Hawaii, History, Houston, James Bates, John Young, Keplerian Trajectory, Langley Research Center, Lima Peru, Lunney, Mcdonnell, Mcdonogh, Mike Collins, Mission Control Center, Mit, Msc, Mueller, Nasa, Pps, Rendezvous, Richard Gordon, Rocket, Space, T 2, Tether, Umbillical, William Schneider
Posted on November 13, 2014
We left off last week after Buzz Aldrin’s third and final EVA. The hard work for the Gemini 12 mission was now complete. Even with the problems with the radar, the Agena main engines, and the fuel cells, Gemini XII as a whole had gone very well…
p-1G12Patch
LovelAldrinRecovery
Gemini12Into Sun
gemini_xii_mission
Tagged:Agena, Agena 12, Apollo, Apollo 13, Buzz Aldrin, Cape Kennedy, Charles Mattews, Charlesworth, Christopher Kraft, Coastal Sentry Qebec, Computer Controlled Reentry, Conrad, Csq, Docking, Edwin Aldrin, Eva, Exploration, Fuel Cell, Gatv, Gemini 10, Gemini 12, Gemini 4, Gemini 5, Gemini 6, Gemini 8, Gemini 9, Gemini 9a, Gemini Ix, Gemini Ix A, Gemini Ixa, Gemini Mission Review Board, Gemini Project, Gemini Project Office, Gemini V, Gemini Vi, Gemini Viii, Gemini X, Gemini Xii, Gpo, Gravity Gradient, Grumman, Hawaii, History, Homer Newell, Houston, Howard Tindall, Ibm 7094, James Bates, Jfk, John Glen, John Young, Joseph Loftus, Kennedy, Kieth Glennan, Lbj, Leonov, Lima Peru, Lunar Module, Lunney, Lyndon Johnson, Manned Spacecraft Center, Mcdonnell, Mcdonogh, Mercury, Mike Collins, Mission Control Center, Mit, Moon, Msc, Mueller, Nasa, North American, Paraglider, Pps, Rendezvous, Richard Gordon, Rocket, Rolf Lanzkron, Soviet, Space, T 2, Tether, Umbillical, Uss Wasp, William Schneider, Wright Brothers