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Gemini
Flight Details
Gemini 3 (Molly Brown)Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: With this short flight, the United States began to turn the tide on the Soviets. The 2-man crew of Gemini 3 was able to maneuver the spacecraft and change its orbit with special thruster rockets mounted on the nose of the Gemini. After 3 orbits, they were recovered by the carrier USS Intrepid in the Atlantic.
Gemini 4Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: The first American space walk came less than 3 months after Leonov's. White used a hand-held maneuvering gun to guide his movements outside the Gemini. After a 4-day flight, they were recovered by the carrier USS Wasp.
Gemini 5Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: With the flight of Gemini 5, the United States took the lead in long-duration missions. Gemini 5 was the first to use fuel cells to produce electricity (rather than using batteries). The fuel cells acted up during the entire mission, but provided enought power for the flight to proceed to its full planned duration of 8 days. The crew was recovered by the carrier USS Lake Champlain.
Gemini 7Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: Because of the launch failure of the Agena rocket intended as a rendezvous target for Gemini 6, the Gemini 7 long-duration mission was flown first. The almost 14-day flight time would stand as the longest space mission until the 1971 flight of Soyuz 11. During this mission, Gemini 6 was launched and rendezvoused with Gemini 7 -- the two spacecraft coming within inches of each other. After 14 grueling days in space, the crew was recovered by the carrier USS Wasp.
Gemini 6Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: Even on its second attempt (after the failure of the Agena target vehicle), Gemini 6 didn't make it into orbit. A blocked fuel line in the Titan II rocket caused an engine shutdown only 1.19 seconds from lift-off. Three days later, Gemini 6 made it into orbit and rendezvoused with Gemini 7. The crew was recovered one day later by the carrier USS Wasp.
Gemini 8Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: This flight had the distinction of two firsts. It included the world's first docking of two spacecraft -- Gemini 8 and an Agena target vehicle. It also was the first manned flight to be aborted before its full planned duration. Only 27 minutes after the crew successfully docked with the Agena, the connected spacecrafts began to tumble wildly. The cause was a stuck thruster rocket on the Gemini. The crew shut down the maneuvering rocket system and used emergency procedures to return to Earth. They were recovered near Midway by the destroyer USS Mason.
Gemini 9Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: Like the Agena target for Gemini 6, the Gemini 9 Agena target failed to reach orbit. Therefore, a special target vehicle was launched for this mission. However, once in orbit, the crew found that the nose cone of the target vehicle had failed to separate completely, giving the appearance of open jaws. This meant that Gemini 9 could not dock with the target vehicle and could only perform rendezvous experiments. During the flight, Cernen made a 2-hour space walk. This EVA was cut short when his helmet visor began to fog over. A planned test of an Astronaut Maneuvering Unit backpack was canceled. The crew was recovered by the carrier USS Wasp.
Gemini 10Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: The crew of Gemini 10 performed docking maneuvers with an Agena target vehicle, then used the docked Agena's rocket engine to maneuver in orbit to find and rendezvous with the Agena left behind after the Gemini 8 flight. During the stand-up EVA, Collins took ultraviolet stellar photos. During the space walk, he retrieved a micrometeorite experiment from the Gemini 8 Agena. The space walk was shortened considerably from the plan when both crew members experienced eye irritations, possibily from contaminants in their suits. They were recovered by the carrier USS Guadalcanal.
Gemini 11Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: The crew docked with an Agena target vehicle, then used the Agena's main engine to boost their orbit to over 800 miles altitude, the highest to date for a manned flight. Gordon's space walk was ended prematurely because of exhaustion but he did install a tether from the Gemini to the Agena for later gravity stabilization experiments. During a stand-up EVA, he photographed the Earth and stars. The crew was recovered by the carrier USS Guam.
Gemini 12Mission Statistics:
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Mission Highlights: A successful docking was performed with an Agena target vehicle. Aldrin performed two stand-up EVA's, during which he took Earth and star photos. During a space walk, he attached a tether from the Gemini to the Agena and tested hand-holds mounted on the Gemini and Agena. These hand-holds made it much easier for him to perform useful tasks outside the spacecraft. The crew was recovered by the carrier USS Wasp.
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