Project Gemini History

On December 7, 1961, NASA announced a plan to extend the manned space flight program by the development of a two-man spacecraft. On January 3, 1962, the project was named Gemini after the third constellation of the zodiac, which featured the twin stars Castor and Pollux. The Gemini program was utilized as an intermediate step between Project Mercury and Project Apollo. The aim of the Gemini program was to allow two men and their supporting equipment to withstand long duration flights, to perfect the methods of reentry and landing by hitting a preselected landing point, to rendezvous and dock with other orbiting spacecraft, to gain more information about the effects of weightlessness on crew members, and to record the physiological effects of crew members after long durations of space flight. (In 1964, land-landing was removed from one of the goals of the Gemini project, but the precision control required for it was shown) The core of the Gemini program was to take the next step toward a further goal of traveling to the moon. The major advance from Program Mercury was the development of a two-seater spacecraft that would allow space flights to last up to two weeks. The Gemini spacecraft was an enlargement of the Mercury capsule, but some modifications were made. These included: Simplified maintenance, more maneuverability for the pilots. The Gemini spacecraft sat on top of a Titan rocket, thus one of its nicknames was Gemini-Titan. On March 13, 1965, Gemini III (known as the Molly brown) rocketed into orbit with her crew of Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young and the crew completed a three orbit mission that lasted for 4 hours and 52 minutes. The next Gemini mission, Gemini IV, also was historic for the reason that Edward H. White performed the first American Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) which lasted for 22 minutes. Gemini V was the first mission to use electric fuel cells and special navigation equipment that would be used for rendezvous. Gemini VII pushed human endurance to the limit with a stay in space that lasted 13 days, 18 hours, and 35 minutes also a successful rendezvous was made with Gemini VI. The first successful docking between two American spacecraft came on March 16, 1966 when Gemini VIII and the Agenda stage spacecraft docked, but shortly after the first American emergency landing took place. Several more mission took place that extended the ability to dock spacecraft, maneuver using engines on both spacecraft, and prolonging EVAs. The Gemini program was highly successful in all its aspects that it set out for and plugged the hole between the Mercury program and Apollo program with valuable knowledge. NASA was now ready to aim for the moon.

Unmanned Missions

GT-01 (Gemini I)- Demonstrate GLV performance, flight qualify subsystems, determine exit heating of GLV and spacecraft. Demonstrate structural integrity of GLV and spacecraft, demonstrate GLV and ground guidance systems performance in achieving proper orbital insertion; monitor, evaluate GLV switchover circuits. Secondary objectives included: Evaluate operational procedures for GLV trajectory and cutoff conditions, verify orbital insertion by tracking C-band transponder in spacecraft, demonstrate performance of launch and tracking networks, provide training for flight controllers and prelaunch and launch crews and facilities.

GT-02 (Gemini II)- Demonstrate reentry heat protection during maximum heating reentry, demonstrate structural integrity of spacecraft, demonstrate satisfactory performance of major subsystems, demonstrate checkout and launch procedures, evaluate backup guidance steering signals through launch. Secondary objectives included: Obtain test results on fuel cell and reactant supply, cryogenics, and communications systems; demonstrate and further flight-qualify GLV and spacecraft from countdown thru insertion. Train flight controllers and qualify ground communications tracking system.

Manned Missions

GT-03 (Gemini III)- Crew was made up of Commander Virgil I. Grissom and Pilot John W. Young. The crew rocketed into space on March 23, 1965 and landed on March 25, 1965. Primary objectives include: demonstrate manned orbital flight, evaluate two-man design, demonstrate and evaluate tracking network, demonstrate OAMS capability in orbital maneuvers and in retrofire backup, demonstrate controlled reentry and landing, evaluate major spacecraft subsystems, demonstrate systems checkout, prelaunch, and launch procedures; and to demonstrate and evaluate recovery procedures and systems. Secondary objectives included: Evaluate flight crew equipment, biomedical instrumentation and personal hygiene system, perform 3 experiments, evaluate low-level longitudinal oscillations (Pogo) of the GLV, and general photographic coverage in orbit. The duration of the space-flight mission was 4 hours, 52 minutes, and 31 seconds.

GT-04 (Gemini IV)- Crew was made up of Commander James A. McDivitt and Pilot Edward H. White II. The crew reached orbit on June 3, 1965 and landed on June 7, 1965. Gemini IV was NASA's 1st Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) operation with the EVA lasting 36 minutes. Evaluate effects of prolonged space flight, demonstrate and evaluate performance of spacecraft and systems in 4-day flight, evaluate procedures for crew rest and work cycles, eating schedules, and real-time flight planning. Secondary objectives included: Demonstrate and evaluate EVA and control by use of HHMU and tether, station keep and rendezvous with second stage of GLV, evaluate spacecraft systems, make in-and-out-of plane maneuvers, further test OAMS retro backup capability, and to perform 11 experiments. The space flight lasted for a period of 4 days, 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 12 seconds.

GT-05 (Gemini V)- Crew was made up of Commander Gordon C. Cooper and Pilot Charles Conrade, Jr. The crew took off on August 21, 1965 and returned on August 29, 1965. Evaluate rendezvous Guidance and Navigation system with REP, demonstrate 8-day capability of spacecraft and crew, evaluate effects on weightlessness for 8-day flight. Secondary objectives included: Demonstrate controlled reentry guidance, evaluate fuel cell, demonstrate all phases of guidance and control system operation needed for rendezvous, evaluate capability of both crewmen to maneuver spacecraft to rendezvous, checkout rendezvous radar, and execute 17 experiments. During the mission, problems developed with the fuel cell that precluded rendezvous with the radar evaluation pod (REP). Primary rendezvous G&N system with REP objective was not achieved. REP rendezvous was not attempted due to a decision to power down fuel cells. The crew orbited the earth 120 times in a mission that lasted 7 days, 22 hours, 55 minutes, and 14 seconds.

GT-07 (Gemini VII)- Crew was made up of Commander Frank Borman and Pilot James A. Lovell. The crew reached orbit on December 4, 1965 and returned back home on December 18, 1965. Primary object was to conduct 14-day mission and evaluate effects on crew. Secondary objectives included: Provide target for Gemini VI-A, station keep with Gemini VI-A and with second stage of GLV, conduct 20 experiments, evaluate lightweight pressure suit, evaluate spacecraft reentry capability, and conduct systems tests. Gemini VII had a mission that lasted for 13 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes, and 1 second.

GT-06 (Gemini VI-A)- Crew was made up of Commander Walter M. Schirra and Pilot Thomas P. Stafford. The crew launched into space on December 15, 1965 and landed on December 16, 1965. Primary objective was to rendezvous with Gemini VII was successful. Secondary objectives included: Perform closed-loop rendezvous in fourth orbit, station keep with Gemini VII, evaluate reentry guidance capability, conduct visibility tests for rendezvous, using Gemini VII as target, and perform 3 experiments. Mission only lasted for 1 day, 1 hour, 51 minutes, and 24 seconds.

GT-08 (Gemini VIII)- Crew was made up of Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Pilot David R. Scott. The crew launched into space on March 16, 1966 and returned a day later on March 17, 1966. Primary objective was to rendezvous and dock with Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV-5003) launched on March 16, 1966 from Complex 14 and conduct EVA operations. Secondary objectives included: Rendezvous and dock in 4th revolution, perform docked-vehicle maneuvers, evaluate systems, and conduct 10 experiments. Gemini XIII successfully docked with Gemini Agena target vehicle GATV- at 6 hours and 34 minutes after liftoff. Because of problems with the spacecraft control system, the crew was forced to undock after approximately 30 minutes. The spacecraft-target vehicle combination had begun to encounter increasing yaw and roll rates. The crew regained control of their spacecraft by using the reentry control system, which prompted an early landing in a secondary landing area in the Pacific. Due to the problems the crew only had a mission that lasted for 10 hours, 41 minutes, and 26 seconds.

GT-09 (Gemini IX-A)- Crew was made up of Commander Thomas P. Stafford and Pilot Eugene A. Cernan. Crew launched on June 3, 1966 and landed on June 6, 1966. Primary objective was to perform rendezvous and docking and conduct EVA. Secondary objectives included: Rendezvous with ATDA (launched June 1, 1966 from Complex 14) in 3rd revolution, conduct systems evaluation and equiperiod rendezvous, execute 7 experiments; practice docking, rendezvous from above and to demonstrate controlled reentry. Tragically the original crew of Gemini IX-A, Elliott M. See and Charles Bassett were killed in an airplane crash on February 28, 1966. Primary objective of rendezvous and docking was only partially achieved because the shroud on the ATDA failed to jettison. Instead GT-9A performed a number of rendezvous maneuvers, including a simulation of lunar module rendezvous. The manned space-flight lasted for 3 days, 20 minutes, and 50 seconds.

GT-10 (Gemini X)- Crew was made up of Commander John W. Young and Pilot Michael Collins. The spacecraft ripped off its pad on July 18, 1966 and returned on July 21, 1966. Primary objective was to rendezvous and dock with Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV-5005) launched from Complex 14 on July 18, 1966. Secondary objectives included: Rendezvous and dock in 4th revolution, rendezvous with Gemini Agena target vehicle GATV-8 using Agena propulsion systems, conduct EVA, practice docking, perform 14 experiments, perform system evaluation on bending-mode tests, docked maneuvers, static discharge, monitoring, post-docked Agena maneuvers, reentry guidance, and to park Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV) in 352km (190.3 nm) orbit. The crew completed 43 orbits and had a mission that lasted for 2 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 39 seconds.

GT-11 (Gemini XI)- Crew was made up of Commander Charles Conrade, Jr. and Pilot Richard F. Gordon, Jr. The two launched to the heavens on September 12, 1966 and landed on September 15, 1966. Primary objective was to rendezvous and dock with Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV-5006) which was launched September 12, 1966 from Launch Complex 14 in its 1st revolution. Secondary objectives included: Practice docking, perform EVA, conduct 11 experiments, maneuver while docked (high apogee excursion), conduct tethered vehicle test, demonstrate automatic reentry and Park GATV-10 in 352.4km orbit. The mission lasted for 2 days, 23 hours, 17 minutes, and 8 seconds.

GT-12 (Gemini XII)- Crew was made up of Commander James A. Lovell, Jr. and Pilot Edwin E. Aldrin. The last crew took off on November 11, 1966 and returned home on November 15, 1966. Primary object was rendezvous and docking and to evaluate EVA. Secondary objective included: Tethered vehicle operation, perform 14 experiments, rendezvous and dock in 3rd revolution, demonstrate automatic reentry, perform docked maneuvers, practice docking, conduct system tests and to park Gemini Agena target vehicle GATV-12 in 555.6 km (300nm) orbit. Docked maneuvers were canceled due to a propulsion anomaly during Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV) insertion. The GATV was not placed in a 555.6km orbit because its attitude control gas was depleted by earlier maneuvers. The last mission lasted for 3 days, 22 hours, 34 minutes, and 31 seconds.