High resolution scans from the US Gemini space program
January 10, 2012 5:54 PM Subscribe
On Jan. 6, the NASA Johnson Space Center and the School of Earth and Space Exploration unveiled the Project Gemini Online Digital Archive. The archive contains the first high-resolution digital scans of the original flight films from the US Gemini space program.
Wow, Project Mercury photos are online too. This is awesome.
I was looking around this stuff and saw a pic of the Gemini 6 launch, it seemed wrong, and then it struck me: no launch escape system like Mercury and Apollo. It seemed inconceivable that NASA would take such a risk, so I had to check around for the answer. Holy crap, Gemini spacecraft had ejection seats.
posted by charlie don't surf at 7:24 PM on January 10, 2012
I was looking around this stuff and saw a pic of the Gemini 6 launch, it seemed wrong, and then it struck me: no launch escape system like Mercury and Apollo. It seemed inconceivable that NASA would take such a risk, so I had to check around for the answer. Holy crap, Gemini spacecraft had ejection seats.
posted by charlie don't surf at 7:24 PM on January 10, 2012
Amazing stuff. The Gemini program seems a little overshadowed by the firsts of the Mercury and Apollo programs. But aside from being an important step toward Apollo it has vivid personal memories for me and some family members.
Ed White's spacewalk on Gemini 4
I can remember my nine-year-old self cutting pictures of this spacewalk out of the newspaper and putting them in my scrapbook. (I mentioned this story at a NASA Tweetup last year, and then told the younger tweeps to see me later and I'd explain what a "newspaper" was.)
My sister gave birth to my niece at the Cocoa Beach Hospital on March 22, 1965 and the next day watched Gemini 3 launch from her hospital window. Twenty-four years later I was helping same niece move to Houston and we visited JSC where I took her picture in front of a display on Gemini.
posted by NorthernLite at 7:31 PM on January 10, 2012
Ed White's spacewalk on Gemini 4
I can remember my nine-year-old self cutting pictures of this spacewalk out of the newspaper and putting them in my scrapbook. (I mentioned this story at a NASA Tweetup last year, and then told the younger tweeps to see me later and I'd explain what a "newspaper" was.)
My sister gave birth to my niece at the Cocoa Beach Hospital on March 22, 1965 and the next day watched Gemini 3 launch from her hospital window. Twenty-four years later I was helping same niece move to Houston and we visited JSC where I took her picture in front of a display on Gemini.
posted by NorthernLite at 7:31 PM on January 10, 2012
wow - that is a serious amount of scanning, 50mb files - very, very nice bb.
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:32 PM on January 10, 2012
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:32 PM on January 10, 2012
You win again, BB. I had no idea this was going on. Fantastic. And I love the fact that they're including the bad frames, too. Oh dear I'm going to be up all night.
Gemini was amazing. They did so much, with so little, and in so little time.
posted by zomg at 8:26 PM on January 10, 2012
Gemini was amazing. They did so much, with so little, and in so little time.
posted by zomg at 8:26 PM on January 10, 2012
Just staggeringly good, thanks.
posted by arcticseal at 8:45 PM on January 10, 2012
posted by arcticseal at 8:45 PM on January 10, 2012
Holy crap, Gemini spacecraft had ejection seats.
Gemini 6A was as close as they came to ever being used. The rocket engines had ignited, but then shut off. Mission rules dictated ejection, but Commander Wally Schirra didn't feel the rocket move, so he stayed put. Damn fine instincts there, especially since ejecting would have destroyed the cabin.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:40 AM on January 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Gemini 6A was as close as they came to ever being used. The rocket engines had ignited, but then shut off. Mission rules dictated ejection, but Commander Wally Schirra didn't feel the rocket move, so he stayed put. Damn fine instincts there, especially since ejecting would have destroyed the cabin.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:40 AM on January 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
To be fair, the choice to use ejection seats on Gemini wasn't as crazy as it might sound at first impression. The Titan launch vehicle used hypergolic propellants, which burn when they come in contact, thus making the type of shock-wave creating explosion you can get with cryogenic propellants less likely. Also, keep in mind the Gemini was originally intended to land, using a deployable Rogallo wing, on a runway as a glider. If there is a problem with the wing you could still use the seats to land with your own personal parachute.
posted by LastOfHisKind at 7:58 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by LastOfHisKind at 7:58 AM on January 11, 2012
That was Rogallo Glider. I think of it as an early model of the Shuttle, heh.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:37 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:37 AM on January 11, 2012
Nice find, BB. Thanks.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:24 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:24 AM on January 11, 2012
That was Rogallo Glider. I think of it as an early model of the Shuttle, heh.
That Vintage Space site is awesome too. A little surfing around there under the topic of Rogallo Wings yields this great story about the Paresev, which was basically the prototype for the Rogallo-based hang gliders and ultralight aircraft that are common today.
There are a ton of great stories around Gemini, it was probably the most innovative time in the space program.
posted by charlie don't surf at 3:23 PM on January 11, 2012
That Vintage Space site is awesome too. A little surfing around there under the topic of Rogallo Wings yields this great story about the Paresev, which was basically the prototype for the Rogallo-based hang gliders and ultralight aircraft that are common today.
There are a ton of great stories around Gemini, it was probably the most innovative time in the space program.
posted by charlie don't surf at 3:23 PM on January 11, 2012
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Ed White's spacewalk on Gemini 4
India-Tibet, Zaskar Range, NE of Dehra-Dun from Gemini 5
Photo of Gemini 7 capsule from Gemini 6
A view of Gemini 9 from the point of view of a spacewalking astronaut, Gene Gernan
Views of the Gemini crew, from the interior of the ship
View of the Agena docking target's engine firing, from within the Gemini 10 cabin
Mike Collins, during the Gemini 10 mission
Clouds over Mexico at sunrise, Gemini 11
View of Australia from 700 miles up, Gemini 11
Buzz Aldrin on a spacewalk during Gemini 12
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:57 PM on January 10, 2012