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| Mission statistics | |
| Mission name: | Gemini 11 |
| Call sign: | Gemini 11 |
| Number of crew: |
2 |
| Launch: | September 12, 1966 14:42:26.546 UTC Cape Canaveral LC 19 |
| Landing: | September 15, 1966 13:59:35 UTC 24°15.4′N 70°0′W / 24.2567°N 70.000°W / 24.2567; -70.000 |
| Duration: | 2 days, 23 hours 17 minutes 8 seconds |
| Distance traveled: | ~1,983,565 km |
| Orbits: | 44 |
| Apogee: (1st orbit) |
279.1 km |
| Perigee: (1st orbit) |
160.5 km |
| Period: (1st orbit) |
88.89 min |
| Inclination: | 28.83 deg |
| Mass: | 3,798.4 kg |
| Crew picture | |
| Gemini 11 crew portrait (L-R: Gordon, Conrad) Gemini 11 crew portrait (L-R: Gordon, Conrad) | |
| Gemini 11 Crew | |
Gemini 11 (officially Gemini XI) was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 9th manned Gemini flight, the 17th manned American flight and the 25th spaceflight of all time (includes X-15 flights over 100 km).
Crew
- Pete Conrad (flew on Gemini 5, Gemini 11, Apollo 12, & Skylab 2), Command Pilot
- Richard Gordon (flew on Gemini 9 & Apollo 12), Pilot
Backup crew
- Neil A. Armstrong, Command Pilot
- William A. Anders, Pilot
Mission parameters
- Mass: 3,798.4 kg
Highest orbit (followed twice):
- Perigee: 289.7 km
- Apogee: 1374.1 km (a record; apart from the missions to the Moon this has, as of 2004, never been surpassed)
- Inclination: 28.85°
- Period: 101.52 min
Docking
- Docked: September 12, 1966 - 16:16:00 UTC
- Undocked: September 14, 1966 - 16:55:00 UTC
Space walk
- Gordon - EVA 1
- Start: September 13, 1966, 14:44:00 UTC
- End: September 13, 1966, 15:17:00 UTC
- Duration: 0 hours, 33 minutes
- Gordon - EVA 2 (stand up)
- Start: September 14, 1966, 12:49:00 UTC
- End: September 14, 1966, 14:57:00 UTC
- Duration: 2 hours, 08 minutes
See also
Objectives
With Apollo looming on the horizon, Gemini project managers wanted to accomplish a rendezvous immediately after reaching orbit, just as it would have to be done around the Moon. Only 85 minutes after launch, Conrad and Gordon matched orbits with their Agena target stage and docked several times. Conrad had originally hoped for a Gemini flight around the Moon, but had to settle for the highest Earth orbit ever reached by an American manned spacecraft (1374 kilometer altitude). Gordon's first space-walk once again proved more difficult than ground simulations, and had to be cut short when he became overtired. A second, two-hour "stand-up" space walk went more smoothly: Gordon even fell asleep while floating halfway out the hatch. An experiment to link the Agena and Gemini vehicles with a 15 meter tether (which Gordon had attached during his space-walk) and rotate the joined pair was troublesome-Conrad had problems keeping the tether taut-but was able to generate a modicum of "artificial gravity." The mission ended with the first totally automatic, computer-controlled reentry, which brought Gemini XI down only 4.5 kilometers from its recovery ship.
Gemini 11 was designed to achieve a first orbit rendezvous and docking with the Agena target vehicle, to accomplish two extra-vehicular activity (EVA) tests, to perform docking practice, docked configuration maneuvers, tethered operations, parking of the Agena target vehicle and demonstrate an automatic reentry.
| Gemini 11 | Agena info |
|---|---|
| Agena | GATV-5006 |
| NSSDC ID: | 1966-080A |
| Mass | 3,175 kg |
| Launch site | LC-14 |
| Launch date | September 12, 1966 |
| Launch time | 13:05:01 UTC |
| 1st perigee | 289.7 km |
| 1st apogee | 307.1 km |
| Period | 90.56 min |
| Inclination | 28.84 |
| Reentered | December 30, 1966 |
Experiments
The 12 scientific experiments were (1) synergistic effect of zero-g and radiation on white blood cells, (2) synoptic terrain photography, (3) synoptic weather photography, (4) nuclear emulsions, (5) airglow horizon photography, (6) UV astronomical photography, (7) Gemini ion wake measurement, and (8) dim sky photography.
Reentry
The reentry was the first computer-controlled reentry in the US space program. They landed only 4.5 km away from the intended landing site and were recovered by USS Guam.
The Gemini 11 mission was supported by the following U.S. Department of Defense resources; 9,054 personnel, 73 aircraft and 13 ships.
Insignia
On the Gemini 11 crew insigina, stars are used to mark the major milestones of the mission. The first orbit Agena rendezvous is marked by a small gold star just above the earth, to the left. The Agena docking is marked by a large star on the left. The star at the top marks the record high apogee (1,368 km) reached by Gemini 11. Finally the star on right marks Dick Gordon's spacewalk. The docking, record apogee and spacewalk are also shown on the patch by the Agena, orbital apogee path and spacewalking astronaut. The patch is done in U.S. Navy colors, blue and gold. Conrad and Gordon were both members of the U.S. Navy.
Capsule location
The capsule is on display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, California.
External links
- On The Shoulders of Titans: A History of Project Gemini
- Spaceflight Mission Patches
- http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1966-081A
- U.S. Space Objects Registry http://usspaceobjectsregistry.state.gov/search/index.cfm
| Missions of Project Gemini | ||
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