Page 19 - Intro to Space Sciences Spacecraft Applications

6 Introduction to Space Sciences and Spacecraft Applications

Figure 1-3. Photograph of the two-man Gemini 7 spacecraft taken from the
Gemini 6 spacecraft during rendezvous maneuvers in December 1965. (Pho-
tograph courtesy of NASA.)

of conducting the moon flights were under consideration. One was the
direct ascent of a spacecraft to the lunar surface and back. Another was
known as earth-orbital rendezvous, by which two spacecraft would be
launched separately to rendezvous in the earth’s orbit before continuing as
one to the moon and back. The method ultimately selected was called
lunar-orbit rendezvous, by which a spacecraft would be launched into
lunar orbit whereupon a specially designed lunar landing module would
travel down to the surface and back up to lunar orbit to redock with the
mother ship for the return to earth. In order to accomplish this, crew size
would have to be increased, longer flight duration would be necessary,
and in-orbit operations such as extravehicular activities (EVAs) and ren-
dezvous and docking techniques would have to be perfected.
The Gemini capsule was basically a modified Mercury capsule,
enlarged to carry two men, with the capability to perform the required on-
orbit operations. There were ten Gemini flights in the two years the pro-
gram ran from 1965 to 1966. These flights were a significant evolution