Posted on December 15, 2016
“I am in a big mass of some very small particles, they’re brilliantly lit up like they’re luminescent. I never saw anything like it! They round a little: they’re coming by the capsule and they look like little stars. A whole shower of them coming by....
Tagged:Africa, Alan Shepard, Apollo, Atlas, Australia, Canton Island, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Exploration, Fireflies, Friendship 7, Godspeed John Glenn, Hawaii, History, Indian Ocean, John Glenn, Kano, Lyndon Johnson, Mercury, Mercury 7, Mexico, Muchea, Nasa, Nigeria, Nikita Khrushchev, Perth, Rocket, Russia, Segment 51, Sensor, Soviet, Space, Titov, Wally Schirra, Walter Schirra
Posted on December 16, 2016
Mercury Control was still undecided on the course of action to take with the heat shield problem. Some controllers thought the retrorocket pack should be jettisoned after retrofire, while other controllers thought the retro pack should be retained, a...
Tagged:Africa, Alan Shepard, Apollo, Atlas, Australia, Canton Island, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Exploration, Fireflies, Friendship 7, Godspeed John Glenn, Hawaii, History, Indian Ocean, John Glenn, Kano, Lyndon Johnson, Mercury, Mercury 7, Mexico, Muchea, Nasa, Nigeria, Nikita Khrushchev, Perth, Rocket, Russia, Segment 51, Sensor, Soviet, Space, Titov, Wally Schirra, Walter Schirra
Posted on February 12, 2015
In January 1960, President Eisenhower directed NASA Administrator Glennan to accelerate the Super Booster Program that had recently been assigned to NASA. This order ensured the transfer of the von Braun group from the Army Ballistic Missile Agency t...
Using a model at upper left, William Rector of General Dynamics Corp. describes the design his company proposed for the Apollo lunar mission
Spacecraft modules in this drawing were identified in the Space Task Group’s request for proposals from contractors for developing and producing the command module
Saturn 1 test
Saturn 1 test 2
mySuperLamePic_c1194b7fa9498eb5af694d8530d3ebf8
At lower left, E. E. Clark and Carlos de Moraes of the Martin Company display three of a dozen command module configurations considered before the choice of the one to the right
ASA’s second Administrator, James E. Webb (at center above), and George M. Low (right above) of NASA Headquarters receive a model of General Electric’s proposed vehicle
Tagged:A Plan For Manned Lunar Landing, Abbott, Alan Shepard, Apollo, Avco, C 2 Saturn, Cape Kennedy, Charles Houbolt, Circumlunar, Congress, Convair, Docking, Dolan, Donlan, Eisenhower, Eldon Hall, Exploration, Faget, Feasibility Studies, Gagarin, Gemini Project, General Electric, George Low, Gilruth, Glennan, Goett, History, Houston, Hugh Dryden, J R Clark, James Killian, James Webb, Jerome Wiesner, Jfk, John Disher, John Lee, Jpl, Kennedy, Kieth Glennan, Langley, Lbj, Lovelace Foundation, Low, Lunar, Lunar Module, Lyndon Johnson, Manned Lunar Landing Task Group, Manned Spacecraft Center, Markley, Marshall Space Flight Center, Martin, Mercury, Moon, Nasa, Nova, Oran Nicks, Ostrandersiepert, Pickering, Piland, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Richard S Johnston, Robert Chilton, Rocket, Saturn, Seamans, Silverstein, Soviet, Space, Space Task Group, Sputnik, Stanley White, Strass, Von Braun, Vought Astronautics, Webb, William Petynia
Posted on February 19, 2015
In May 1961, NASA was not really prepared to direct an enormous Apollo program designed to fly its spacecraft to the moon. New and special facilities would be needed and the aerospace industry would have to be marshaled to develop vehicles not easily...
David G. Hoag, technical design director at the laboratory, examines the inertial measuring unit that would measure changes in Apollo spacecraft velocity when propulsion systems were fired
MIT Instrumentation Laboratory Director C. Stark Draper inspects a mockup of the Apollo guidance and control system in the September 1963
astronaut positions
Tagged:Apollo, Avco, C 2 Saturn, Cape Kennedy, Charles Houbolt, Circumlunar, Congress, Convair, Docking, Dolan, Donlan, Eisenhower, Eldon Hall, Exploration, Faget, Feasibility Studies, General Electric, George Low, Gilruth, Glennan, Goett, History, Houston, Hugh Dryden, J R Clark, James Killian, James Webb, Jerome Wiesner, Jfk, John Disher, John Lee, Jpl, Kennedy, Kieth Glennan, Langley, Lbj, Lovelace Foundation, Low, Lunar, Lunar Module, Lyndon Johnson, Manned Lunar Landing Task Group, Manned Spacecraft Center, Markley, Marshall Space Flight Center, Martin, Mercury, Moon, Nasa, Nova, Oran Nicks, Ostrandersiepert, Pickering, Piland, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Richard S Johnston, Robert Chilton, Rocket, Saturn, Seamans, Silverstein, Soviet, Space, Space Task Group, Sputnik, Stanley White, Strass, Von Braun, Webb
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 5, 2015
Many historians agree, the U.S. took its first step toward the moon in the spring of 1957, four years before President Kennedy declared the national goal of landing a man on the Moon, and returning him safely to the Earth. While still preparing for t...
12-Second stage (S-IV)
11-Booster stage (S-I)
10-Proposed C-2
9-C-1 and earlier vehicles
8-Model of blockhouse at Launch Complex 34
7-Vehicles using Titan and Atlas stages
6-Saturn C
5-Saturn B
4-Preliminary concept of Launch Complex 34, Cape Canaveral
3-Early H-1 Engine
2-Thor-Jupiter engine
1-Proposed configuration of a clustered booster
Tagged:Abma, Air Force, Alabama, Apollo, Army Ballistic Missile Agency, Army Ordnance Missile Command, Arpa, Atlantic Missile Range, C 2 Saturn, C 4, Cape Kennedy, Centaur, Charles Wilson, Circumlunar, Congress, Dx, Eisenhower, Exploration, Explorer 1, F 1, F 86, Gilruth, Glennan, Golovin, H 1, Herbert York, History, Hugh Dryden, Huntsville, James Webb, Jfk, Jpl, Jupiter, Kennedy, Kerosene, Kieth Glennan, Kurt Debus, Launch Complex 34, Lox, Lr 119, Lunar, Lunar Module, Lyndon Johnson, Marshall Space Flight Center, Medaris, Missile Firing Laboratory, Moon, Nasa, North American Aviation, Nova, Prat Whitney, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Rocket, Rocketdyne, Roy Johnson, Rp 1, S 3d, S I, S Iv, S V, Saturn, Saturn C 3, Saturn I, Saturn Ib, Saturn V, Soviet, Space, Sputnik, Tennessee River, Thor, Titan C, Von Braun
Posted on May 30, 2013
In late March, 1958, President Eisenhower publicly announced the United States’ intention to launch a spacecraft to the Moon. He assured the nation that this was not science fiction. It was an achievable goal presented by leading scientists. The ...
Vanguard_1
Vanguard_rocket
Pioneer_I_on_the_Launch_Pad_-_GPN-2002-000204
Pioneer_1
Pioneer Satellite Replica
753px-Pioneer_3
Tagged:Abma, Arpa, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Eisenhower, Exploration, Explorer 2, Explorer 3, Explorer 4, Geophysical, History, Icbm, Jpl, Juno, Juno I, Juno Ii, Lbj, Lunar, Lyndon Johnson, Moon, Naca, Nasa, Pioneer, Pioneer 0, Pioneer 1, Pioneer 2, Pioneer 3, Pioneer 4, Project Argus, R 7, R7, Radiation, Rocket, Russia, Soviet, Sputnik, Thor, Thor Abel, Van Allen, Von Braun, Werner
Posted on June 6, 2013
The launch vehicle for the Luna E-1 series was a modified R7 named Vostok. The Vostok had three stages. The first and second stage were the standard R-7 which we covered in Episode 9. A 5.1 meter long by 2.4 meter diameter third stage was added to...
Vostok – 8K72K
R-7_(7A)_misil.svg
Luna_1_1
800px-Спутник-3
Tagged:3ka, Baikonur, Cosmic Rays, Dalek, Dr Who, Exploration, Explorer 1, History, Icbm, Khruschchev, Korolev, Luna 1, Luna E1 1, Luna E1 2, Luna E1 3, Luna E1 4, Lyndon Johnson, Object D, Pioneer 0, Pioneer 1, R 7, R7, Rocket, Russia, Soviet, Space, Sputnik, Sputnik 3, Time Magazine, Van Allen, Vanguard 1, Vernov, Vostok, Zenit
Posted on June 2, 2016
The successful Apollo 7 flight cleared the way for a US moon landing in 1969. Still a lot of flight and ground testing remained and there would probably be surprises. The greatest concern was Nasa had to complete three virtually flawless missions a...
3-Lovell family watch launch of A8
2-Jim Lovell
1-Apollo 8 Crew
Tagged:Apollo 1, Apollo 10, Apollo 17, Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo The Race To The Moon, Bill Anders, Buzz Aldrin, Charles Bassett, Chris Kraft, Clifford Charlesworth, Csm, Deke Slayton, Donald Slayton, Elliot See, F2h Banshee, Frank Borman, Gene Cernan, General Houston, Houston, Huntsville, James Lovell, John Mayer, John Mccain, Lyndon Johnson, Marilyn Lovell, Marshall Space Flight Center, Mike Collins, Nasa, Neil Armstrong, Pacific Fleet, Patuxent River, Pete Conrad, Richard Nixion, Saturn V, Simulation Supervisor, Tom Stafford, Wally Schirra, Wernher Von Braun, William Anders
Posted on June 8, 2016
For now the mighty Saturn V stood empty. But overnight, even while Borman’s crew slept, technicians would ready it for departure. By morning its enormous fuel thanks would be filled with cryogenic propellants, until the rocket would contain the exp...
3-Aerial_view_of_the_Apollo_8_Saturn-V
2-CrewGoingtoPad
1-Lunar-Moon-mission-profile
Tagged:Al Shepard, Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Bill Anders, Buzz Aldrin, Clifford Charlesworth, Csm, Deke Slayton, Dick Proffitt, Donald Slayton, F 1, Frank Borman, Gemini 7, George Low, Goddard, Howard Tindall, Huntsville, Jack King, Jack Schmitt, James Lovell, John Mayer, Lindbergh, Lyndon Johnson, Marilyn Lovell, Marshall Space Flight Center, Nasa, Neil Armstrong, Saturn V, Simulation Supervisor, Titan, Trench, Wernher Von Braun, William Anders
Posted on August 22, 2013
“We have been plunged into a race for the conquest of outer space. As a reason for this undertaking some look to the new and exciting scientific discoveries which are certain to be made. Others feel the challenge to transport man beyond frontiers he ...
mime-attachment2
1658
413px-John_F._Kennedy_speaks_at_Rice_University
Tagged:Alan Shepard, Apollo, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Chemical, Eisenhower, Exploration, History, Houston, Icbm, Jfk, Lbj, Liquid, Lloyd Berkner, Lyndon Johnson, Mercury, Moon, Nasa, Nuclear, Rice, Rocket, Saturn, Solid Fuel, Soviet, Space, Space Race, Von Braun, Webb, Werner, Wiesner, Yuri Gagarin
Posted on September 19, 2013
“I am in a big mass of some very small particles, they’re brilliantly lit up like they’re luminescent. I never saw anything like it! They round a little: they’re coming by the capsule and they look like little stars. A whole shower of them coming by....
space rocket history pic21
Mercury-Atlas_6_Earth_photo
Launch_of_Friendship_7_-_GPN-2000-000686
Houston_control_center_during_Mercury_Atlas_6_mission_1962
Glenn62
800px-Glenn_Enters_his_Mercury_Capsule_-_GPN-2000-001029
415px-Mercury_6,_John_H_Glenn_Jr
Tagged:Africa, Alan Shepard, Atlas, Australia, Canary Islands, Canton Island, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Donalk Slayton, Enos, Exploration, Fireflies, Friendship 7, Goddard, Godspeed, Gordon Cooper, Guaymas, Gus Grissom, Hawaii, History, Icbm, Indian Ocean, John Glenn, Kano Nigeria, Kauai, Luminescent, Lyndon Johnson, Max Q, Mercury, Mercury 6, Mercury 7, Mercury Control, Mercury Atlas 6, Mexico, Muchea, Nasa, Pacific, Perth, Posigrade, Robert Gilruth, Rocket, Rockingham, Russia, Scott Carpenter, Segment 51, Soviet, Space, Vostok, Walter Schirra, Zanzibar
Posted on September 26, 2013
Mercury Control was still undecided on the course of action to take with the heat shield problem. Some controllers thought the retrorocket pack should be jettisoned after retrofire, while other controllers thought the retro pack should be retained, a...
mercury-flight-27[3]
mercury-flight-26[3]
mercury-flight-25[3]
mercury-flight-24[3]
mercury-flight-24[3] (1)
Ma6Smith
MA6-dye released
MA6 on tv
Tagged:Africa, Alan Shepard, Apollo, Atlas, Australia, Canton Island, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Exploration, Fireflies, Friendship 7, Hawaii, History, Indian Ocean, John Glenn, Kano, Lyndon Johnson, Mercury, Mercury 7, Mexico, Muchea, Nasa, Nigeria, Nikita Khrushchev, Perth, Rocket, Russia, Segment 51, Sensor, Soviet, Space, Titov, Wally Schirra, Walter Schirra
Posted on January 16, 2014
Mariner 4’s primary objective was to conduct closeup scientific observations of Mars and to transmit these observations to Earth. Additional goals included performing field and particle measurements in interplanetary space, and providing experience a...
Cratered Hilands Mars
mariner04
Pickering-Johnson
Mariner_4_launch_2
Mariner Crater
20121209_Mars_Mariner_4_f840 Nasa
Tagged:Agena, Atlas, Canals, Canopus, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Comet, Cosmic Dust Detector, Cosmic Rays, Crater, Dswift, Earth, Exobiology, Exploration, Flagstaff, Geiger Counter, H G Wells, Helium Magnetometer, History, Ionization Chamber, Jpl, Looney Tunes, Lyndon Johnson, Mariner 3, Mariner 4, Mars, Marvin The Martian, Mercury, Micrometeoroid, Monopropellant Hydrazine, Moon, Nasa, Percival Lowell, Rocket, Solar Cells, Solar Plasma Probe, Space, The Twilight Zone, Trapped Radiation Detector, War Of The Worlds
Posted on March 6, 2014
The bright outlook that was prevalent in April turned dark in the late summer of 1964 when a series of natural disasters struck the Cape. First lightning, then hurricanes, damaged the Gemini 2 launch vehicle to delay its flight long past the schedule...
Retro Adapter
Mercury and Gemini
Ejection
Retro Adapter
GT2_S-64-40154
Figure 74. Special instrumentation pallets to be installed in Gemini spacecraft No. 2 in the same positions that astronauts would occupy in later flights
Figure 75. The first stage of Gemini launch vehicle 2 being unloaded from an Air Force C-133 at Cape Kennedy
Tagged:Agena, Air Force, C 133b, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Cleo, Communications, Complex 19, Csat, Dei, Delta, Design Engineering Inspection, Electrical Power, Environmental System, Escape, Exploration, Gemini, Gemini Titan 2, Glv 2, Guidance, History, Hurricane, Landing, Lyndon Johnson, Martin, Martin Marietta, Mcdonnell, Mercury, Msc, Nasa, Pirotechnics, Propulsion, Rocket, Russia, Sequential, Soviet, Space, Titan Iiia, Walter Matthews
Posted on March 13, 2014
Gemini Launch Vehicle Two’s misfortunes during August and September 1964 forced NASA to forego its goal of a manned Gemini 3 flight before the end of the year, Gemini-Titan 2 was now scheduled for mid-November 1964, and Gemini 3 for the end of Januar...
800px-Gemini2xrear
Gemini B spacecraft on display at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
View of the earth and space from the unmanned Gemini 2 cabin window during reentry
Tagged:Act Of God, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Charles Matthews, Chris Kraft, Christopher Kraft, Dry Ice, Fuel Cell, Gatv 5001, Gemini Agena, Gemini Titan 2, Gene Krantz, Glv 2, Goddard, Gt 2, Gus Grissom, History, John Glenn, Lc 40, Leroy E Day, Lyndon Johnson, Martin, Mcdonnell, Mercury, Mercury 7, Moog Servocontrols, Moon, Nasa, P2b, Robert Gilruth, Rocket, Space, Ten Point Plan For Cc Equipment, Titan Ii, Titan Iiia, United States Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory, Uss Lake Champlain, Virgil Grissom, Voskhod, Walter Schirra
May 8
Space Rocket History #62 – Gemini IV with James McDivitt and Edward White – The Duration – Part 3
Posted on May 8, 2014
On orbit 48, after 75 hours of flight a problem arose. During a pass over the continental US the flight computer was updated. McDivitt was told to switch off the computer. He flipped the switch but the computer did not turn off. On the ground at miss...
Food packages of beef and gravy fully reconstituted and ready to eat. The water gun is used to reconstitute dehydrated food and the scissors are used to open the packages to eat
This package of spacefood, like the ones carried aboard Gemini missions, contains a complete meal combination, which consists of entree, vegetables and dessert. Additionally, it has a package of drink crystals
This meal includes a beef sandwich, strawberry cereal cubes, peaches, and beef and gravy. Astronauts used a water gun to reconstitute the food and scissors to open the package
Tagged:Agena, Apollo 8, Atlas, Blue Bag, Bungee Exerciser, Capcom, Cape Canaveral, Cape Kennedy, Charles A Berry, Chis Kraft, Computer, Dehydrated, Edward H White, Edward H White Ii, Edward Higgins White, Exploration, First Freeze Dried Space Food, Fuel Cells, Gemini, Gemini 4, Gemini Iv, Gemini Project, Gemini Titan Iv, Gene Kranz, Germicidal, Glv 4, Gordon Cooper, Gpo, History, Houston, James A Mcdivitt, John Hodge, Lyndon Johnson, Manned Space Center, Mcdonnell, Mercury Redstone 4, Msc, Nasa, Proton Electron Spectrometer, Rehydrated, Robert Gilruth, Rocket, Soviet, Space, Synoptic Terrain, Synoptic Weather, Thermal Glove, Uss Wasp
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
Posted on January 29, 2015
President Kennedy proposed the manned lunar landing as the focus of the US space program but, at the time of his address, only one American, Alan B. Shepard, Jr. had been into space, on a suborbital lob shot lasting 15 minutes. No rocket launch vehic...
c012a
GilruthThompsonGlennan
c010
c002c
c002b
c002a
Tagged:Abe Silverstein, Abraham Hyatt, Air Force, Ames, Apollo, Army, Caldwell Johnson, Cape Kennedy, Circumlunar, Csq, Docking, Eisenhower, Eldon Hall, Exploration, F 1, Gatv, Gemini, Gemini Project, George Sutton, Glennon, Goddard, Goett, History, Homer Newell, Houston, Jfk, John Hodge, Jpl, Kennedy, Kieth Glennan, Lbj, Lewis, Lunar, Lunar Module, Lyndon Johnson, Manned Spacecraft Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Max Faget, Mercury, Mit, Moon, Naca, Nasa, Nova, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Robert Piland, Rocket, Rocketdyne, Saturn, Soviet, Space, Space Task Group, Sputnik, Strass, Thomas Muse, Von Braun, William Schneider, X 15
Posted on February 5, 2015
The goal of the nation’s space program should be the scientific exploration of the moon and the planets but also to recognize that nontechnical factors are vital to public acceptance of a space program. Human exploration of the moon and planets would...
glenn-kennedy_300_241_s_c1
ST-69-4-63
Tagged:Alan Shepard, Alfred Sloan, Apollo, Brainerd Holmes, Cape Kennedy, Circumlunar, Clinton Anderson, Congress, Docking, Eisenhower, Exploration, Gagarin, Gemini Project, Goett, History, Houston, Hugh Dryden, James Killian, James Webb, Jerome Wiesner, Jfk, Jpl, Kennedy, Kieth Glennan, Lbj, Lunar, Lunar Module, Lyndon Johnson, Manned Spacecraft Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Mercury, Moon, Nasa, Philip Abelson, Project Apollo, Rendezvous, Rocket, Saturn, Sky Scientist, Soviet, Space, Space Science Board, Space Task Group, Sputnik, Strass, Urgent National Needs, Von Braun, Warren Weaver