Those eight short words aptly sum up the excitement, relief and satisfaction for an astronaut at ... more Those eight short words aptly sum up the excitement, relief and satisfaction for an astronaut at finally being able to ply their trade after years of training. As NASA astronauts, the achievements of each of the seventeen remaining members of the NASA Class of ‘66 and the seven former MOL Class of ‘69 are impressive, though the time between selection and flying their first mission into space varied considerably. For Dick Truly, the only member of the first MOL selection of November 1965 to make it into orbit, it was a sixteen year wait before finally leaving the launch pad. His MOL colleagues who had moved across to NASA with him in 1969 also endured a long wait for a flight. Over a two-year period, between April 1981 and April 1983, each would make their maiden spaceflight aboard the Space Shuttle, with six of the seven going on to complete their second, third or fourth flights by October 1985.
The development and composition of pressure garments and their associated equipment for space exp... more The development and composition of pressure garments and their associated equipment for space exploration, especially those to be used for Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA), are fascinating topics to study. The provision of personal protection from the environment and hazards of space has always been a challenge for the designers, engineers, fabricators and medical professionals associated with human space exploration. One of the miracles of modern technology, the spacesuit is essentially a personal spacecraft. When it is used for spacewalks, with independent maneuvering and life support systems and with no physical connection to the spacecraft, its wearer becomes a human satellite.
With the dawn of their fifth day of flight and the start of their fourth 24-hour period in orbit,... more With the dawn of their fifth day of flight and the start of their fourth 24-hour period in orbit, Jim McDivitt and Ed White were in sight of the end of their record breaking mission. Before they could all celebrate, however, they were faced with the grueling de-orbit, re-entry and landing phase, followed by the recovery. No American astronaut had experienced this before after four days cooped up in their spacecraft. The mission may have been making the headlines but it was not over yet by any means. With the computer on but not working correctly, the planned computer-controlled re-entry could not be accomplished and instead, McDivitt would have to set Gemini 4 into a roll and follow a ballistic re-entry, similar to those flown during Project Mercury.
The flight of Gemini 4 in June 1965 was conducted barely four years after the first Americans fle... more The flight of Gemini 4 in June 1965 was conducted barely four years after the first Americans flew in space. It was a bold step by NASA to accomplish the first American spacewalk and to extend the U.S. flight duration record to four days. This would be double the experience gained from the six Mercury missions combined. This daring mission was the first to be directed from the new Mission Control at the Manned Spacecraft Center near Houston, Texas. It also revealed that: Working outside the spacecraft would require further study. Developing the techniques to rendezvous with another object in space would not be as straightforward as NASA had hoped. Living in a small spacecraft for several days was a challenging but necessary step in the quest for even longer flights. Despite the risks, the gamble that astronauts Jim McDivitt and Ed White undertook paid off. Gemini 4 gave NASA the confidence to attempt an even longer flight the next time. That next mission would simulate the planned eight-day duration of an Apollo lunar voyage. Its story is recounted in the next title in this series: Gemini 5: Eight Days in Space or Bust
“The only thing wrong with this one is that we haven’t got a crew in it.” Astronaut Richard F. Go... more “The only thing wrong with this one is that we haven’t got a crew in it.” Astronaut Richard F. Gordon, Jr. commenting on the success of Gemini 1, April 1964
“Until we joined up for this flight, I didn’t know John Young any better than any of the others i... more “Until we joined up for this flight, I didn’t know John Young any better than any of the others in their group. By launch time, John and I will know each other pretty well.” Gus Grissom, quoted in Starfall (1974)
Those eight short words aptly sum up the excitement, relief and satisfaction for an astronaut at ... more Those eight short words aptly sum up the excitement, relief and satisfaction for an astronaut at finally being able to ply their trade after years of training. As NASA astronauts, the achievements of each of the seventeen remaining members of the NASA Class of ‘66 and the seven former MOL Class of ‘69 are impressive, though the time between selection and flying their first mission into space varied considerably. For Dick Truly, the only member of the first MOL selection of November 1965 to make it into orbit, it was a sixteen year wait before finally leaving the launch pad. His MOL colleagues who had moved across to NASA with him in 1969 also endured a long wait for a flight. Over a two-year period, between April 1981 and April 1983, each would make their maiden spaceflight aboard the Space Shuttle, with six of the seven going on to complete their second, third or fourth flights by October 1985.
The development and composition of pressure garments and their associated equipment for space exp... more The development and composition of pressure garments and their associated equipment for space exploration, especially those to be used for Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA), are fascinating topics to study. The provision of personal protection from the environment and hazards of space has always been a challenge for the designers, engineers, fabricators and medical professionals associated with human space exploration. One of the miracles of modern technology, the spacesuit is essentially a personal spacecraft. When it is used for spacewalks, with independent maneuvering and life support systems and with no physical connection to the spacecraft, its wearer becomes a human satellite.
With the dawn of their fifth day of flight and the start of their fourth 24-hour period in orbit,... more With the dawn of their fifth day of flight and the start of their fourth 24-hour period in orbit, Jim McDivitt and Ed White were in sight of the end of their record breaking mission. Before they could all celebrate, however, they were faced with the grueling de-orbit, re-entry and landing phase, followed by the recovery. No American astronaut had experienced this before after four days cooped up in their spacecraft. The mission may have been making the headlines but it was not over yet by any means. With the computer on but not working correctly, the planned computer-controlled re-entry could not be accomplished and instead, McDivitt would have to set Gemini 4 into a roll and follow a ballistic re-entry, similar to those flown during Project Mercury.
The flight of Gemini 4 in June 1965 was conducted barely four years after the first Americans fle... more The flight of Gemini 4 in June 1965 was conducted barely four years after the first Americans flew in space. It was a bold step by NASA to accomplish the first American spacewalk and to extend the U.S. flight duration record to four days. This would be double the experience gained from the six Mercury missions combined. This daring mission was the first to be directed from the new Mission Control at the Manned Spacecraft Center near Houston, Texas. It also revealed that: Working outside the spacecraft would require further study. Developing the techniques to rendezvous with another object in space would not be as straightforward as NASA had hoped. Living in a small spacecraft for several days was a challenging but necessary step in the quest for even longer flights. Despite the risks, the gamble that astronauts Jim McDivitt and Ed White undertook paid off. Gemini 4 gave NASA the confidence to attempt an even longer flight the next time. That next mission would simulate the planned eight-day duration of an Apollo lunar voyage. Its story is recounted in the next title in this series: Gemini 5: Eight Days in Space or Bust
“The only thing wrong with this one is that we haven’t got a crew in it.” Astronaut Richard F. Go... more “The only thing wrong with this one is that we haven’t got a crew in it.” Astronaut Richard F. Gordon, Jr. commenting on the success of Gemini 1, April 1964
“Until we joined up for this flight, I didn’t know John Young any better than any of the others i... more “Until we joined up for this flight, I didn’t know John Young any better than any of the others in their group. By launch time, John and I will know each other pretty well.” Gus Grissom, quoted in Starfall (1974)
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