Is Agena target vehicle still in orbit?
Is Agena target vehicle still in orbit?
The Agena-D rocket upper stage is best known from the Gemini-era as the Agena Target Vehicle (ATV). In 1966, Neil Armstrong and David Scott performed the first ever docking of two spacecraft in orbit with Gemini-8 and the Agena. Thanks to the considerable altitude, it is still in orbit after 50 years.
Who launched the Gemini 8?
Gemini VIII was launched on March 16, 1966, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong (command pilot) and David Scott. They accomplished the first docking of two spacecraft in history, after rendezvousing with an unmanned Agena vehicle launched earlier the same day.
Was the Gemini 8 mission successful?
Gemini 8 marked the first successful dual launch and docking with the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle (GATV), completing the world’s first on-orbit docking of two spacecraft. Docking of the Gemini 8 spacecraft and the GATV was successfully completed at a mission elapsed time of 6 hours, 33 minutes.
What was the point of Gemini 8?
The primary goal of Gemini 8—made by McDonnell Douglas, a Boeing predecessor company—was for mission commander Neil Armstrong to rendezvous and dock with the Agena. In the following three-day period, astronaut Dave Scott planned to conduct two extended space walks.
How did Gemini dock with Agena?
The Gemini VIII spacecraft approaches the Agena during rendezvous maneuvers. During their rendezvous in space, Gemini VIII astronauts inspect the Agena target vehicle prior to docking. A spacecraft maneuvering thruster malfunctioned causing Neil Armstrong and David Scott’s capsule to tumble out of control.
Who built the Gemini spacecraft?
NASA
NASA selected McDonnell Aircraft, which had been the prime contractor for the Project Mercury capsule, in 1961 to build the Gemini capsule, the first of which was delivered in 1963.
What problems did Gemini 8 have?
Away from the target vehicle, Gemini VIII began to roll even more violently. It became obvious that the problem was a stuck thruster in the Orbital Attitude and Maneuvering System (OAMS) on the white adapter module of the Armstrong and Scott’s spacecraft.
How did Neil Armstrong save Gemini 8?
The astronauts realized that the problem was on the Gemini. By now the tumble rate had reached 296 degrees per second and Armstrong decided to shut down the OAMS and use the Reentry Control System (RCS) thrusters, located on the Gemini’s nose, to stop the tumble.
What was Neil Armstrong later life?
Later Contributions After leaving NASA, he joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati as a professor of aerospace engineering. Armstrong remained at the university for eight years. Staying active in his field, he served as the chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc., from 1982 to 1992.
How long did it take Gemini 8 to get to the moon?
Gemini 8
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1966-020A |
| SATCAT no. | 2105 |
| Mission duration | 10 hours, 41 minutes, 26 seconds |
| Spacecraft properties |
|---|
What was the launch date of the Gemini 8 spacecraft?
Gemini 8 was launched from Complex 19 at 10:41:02 a.m. EST (16:41:02.389 UT) on 16 March 1966 and inserted into a 159.9 x 271.9 km orbit at 11:47:36. Over the next six hours the spacecraft performed 9 maneuvers to rendezvous with the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle (GATV), which had been launched earlier (at 9:00 a.m. EST).
How did the Agena Target Vehicle work on Gemini 8?
The Agena Target Vehicle as seen from Gemini 8 during rendezvous. Their first course adjustment was made at one hour and 34 minutes into the mission, when the astronauts lowered their apogee slightly with a five-second Orbit Attitude and Maneuvering System (OAMS) thruster burn.
How long did it take to launch and rendezvous with Gemini?
Gemini VII launch: 10:41:02 USEST. 16 March 1966. Rendezvous completed: 5 hours 58 minutes Ground Elapsed Time The following is from the Gemini 8 Mission Report (19 Mb, document courtesy Bob Andrepontand David Harland): After station keeping for about 36 minutes, docking with the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle was accomplished.
How long did it take to dock with the Gemini Agena?
After station keeping for about 36 minutes, docking with the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle was accomplished. The final docking maneuver was begun when a distance of about 2 feet separated the two vehicles. A relative velocity of about three-fourths of a foot per second was achieved at the moment of contact.
