Mar 16 1966
From The Space Library
Gemini VIII rendezvous and docking mission-world‘s first space docking-began at ETR with launch of 7,000-1b. Agena Target Vehicle (GATV) by Atlas booster at 10:00 am. EST, followed 100 min. later by launch of GEMINI VIII by two-stage Titan II booster with Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, command pilot, and David R. Scott, pilot. Primary objectives of the mission-sixth manned flight in the Gemini series-were rendezvous and docking of GEMINI VIII spacecraft with GATV and performance of extravehicular activity (Eva) for one orbit. GATV was injected into near-circular orbit with 186-mi. (299.5-km.) apogee and 184-mi. (296.3-km.) perigee; GEMINI VIII entered initial orbit with 128.8-mi. (206.4-km.) apogee and 74.9-mi. (119.5-km.) perigee. Near third apogee, Armstrong fired aft thrusters, circularizing spacecraft’s orbit at 168-mi. (270-km.) altitude. Trailing GATV by 139 mi., Armstrong received intermittent lock-on between GEMINI VIII radar and GATV’s companion transponder. After sighting GATV at 66-mi. range at 04:12 GET, Armstrong fired thrusters and Scott read out computer data until 05:15 GET, when they switched from catch-up to rendezvous mode. At 150 ft. from GATV, Armstrong reported he had matched velocity for brief station-keeping exercise. Conditions at that point were so favorable that Armstrong passed under GATV and came up 80 ft. in front of it, where he was able to read some data on GATV’s status display. Successful docking was confirmed at 6:33 GET. Plan had been to remain docked with GATV through 7½-hr. sleep period until beginning Eva, but at approximately 7:00 GET Spacecraft-GATV combination began to roll and yaw violently. Unable to stabilize joined spacecraft, Armstrong fired GEMINI VIII’s thrusters to undock and maneuvered away from the GATV. Once freed, however, GEMINI VIII began to roll even more rapidly; roll, pitch, and yaw rates increased, approaching one revolution per min. For three minutes, the astronauts fought to control GEMINI VIII; finally, with OAMS turned off, Armstrong fired his Reentry Control System (RCS) rockets in final attempt to counteract violent roll. This maneuver was successful and eight minutes later, at 7:25:30 GET, the spacecraft was stabilized. Within a matter of minutes, the problem was isolated to the spacecraft’s No. 8 thruster, which had fired intermittently while GEMINI VIII was docked with GATV and stuck open until Armstrong managed to turn off OAMS. It was later determined that a short circuit was probable cause of thruster’s malfunction. Premature use of reentry rockets forced Gemini flight director John D. Hodge to order an emergency landing, with recovery planned in the western Pacific during seventh revolution. (Safety rules of the Gemini program required immediate landing of any spacecraft once its RCS squibs were blown; if the flight were allowed to continue, danger of RCS fuel depletion would jeopardize firing of RCS rockets, vital to safe return of spacecraft and crew.) Spacecraft landed 500 mi. west of Okinawa in regular emergency recovery area at approximately 10:23 p.m. EST-10 hrs. 42 min. after launch. Landing was only three miles from intended impact point. Within minutes USAF frogmen parachuted from USAF C-54 rescue aircraft and placed flotation collar around capsule. At 1:30 a.m. EST capsule and astronauts were hoisted aboard recovery ship U.S.S. Leonard F. Mason.
Despite early termination, GEMINI VIII mission accomplished one of two primary objectives-rendezvous and docking. Original flight plan had specified four GEMINI VIII-GATV dockings and two hrs. 15 min. of extravehicular activity by Astronaut Scott. Five scientific, four technological, and one medical experiment were to have been conducted. Flight had been scheduled to last 44 revolutions-approximately 73 hrs. ‘‘(NASA Proj. Off.; NASA Release 66-52;Wilford, NYT, 3/17/66,1;Waldron, NYT, 3/17/66, 20; Hines, Wash. Eve. Star, 3/17/66, 1; Simons, Wash. Post, 3/17/66, 1; Av. Wk., 3/31/66, 30-32)’’
Astronauts David R. Scott and Neil A. Armstrong awaiting recovery in the Pacific Ocean after their GEMINI VIII space flight. March 16: President Johnson issued statement after GEMINI VIII carrying Neil A. Armstrong and David R. Scott had splashed down safely following difficulties encountered in flight: “They are disappointed that their mission could not continue, but Gemini VIII accomplished the first docking in space-a major step on the course we have set. The information they have acquired will help us to perfect the spacecrafts that will carry us even further. “From their skill and strength we all take heart, knowing that the personal qualities of the astronauts and their colleagues will ultimately prevail in the conquest of space. We are very proud of them.” ‘‘(Pres. Doc., 3/21/66, 400)’’
COSMOS CX, launched Feb. 22 with dogs Veterok and Ugolyek aboard, landed safely in U.S.S.R. Tass reported that though “the state of the animals after landing is good,” both dogs had suffered heart beat irregularities that had become more pronounced toward the end of the 22-day flight. Respiration rate had changed insignificantly. During initial period of weightlessness, some disruption of coordination had been revealed in rocking of the head.” One of the dogs had been “subjected to all the complex of irritants to indicate the reaction and functional ability” of the cardiovascular system; the other was used for control and comparison. Electronic sensors had provided continuous checks on blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates, and other data. Dogs had been fed a paste injected into their stomachs by a pneumatic device. Spacecraft had carried 300 thermoluminescent dosimeters to measure radiation doses in relation to shielding and ten sets of nuclear emulsions to determine the composition of radiation. Scientific information obtained from the flight, which took the animals through the Van Allen radiation belts once during each of COSMOS CX’s 330 revolutions, “required special processing after which final conclusions about the state of the animals and inferences about plans for future studies will be drawn.” ‘‘(Tass, 3/16/66; Av. Wk., 3/28/66, 28)’’
President Johnson received 1966 Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy Award of the National Space Club at White House for “his efforts in shaping the space program from its infancy while a US. senator and as chairman of the National Space Council while Vice President and for providing the leadership for this nation’s preeminence in space as President,” and affirmed: “We intend to land the first man on the surface of the moon and we intend to do this in the decade of the sixties.” He also said: “I think if I were writing my own epitaph this morning I perhaps would prefer to be remembered, for the period I was Vice President, more by this one thing than any other. President Kennedy asked me to attempt to organize and give direction to the Space Agency. I interviewed about 19 men through the United States and finally selected Jim Webb. I prevailed upon him to come and begin this undertaking. “Within 15 minutes from the time I called the President originally, Jim Webb was out here being announced as the new Space Administrator. I have been very proud of that announcement ever since. “Your modesty, humbleness, your great executive ability, your great courage, your Marine spirit and determination have made us the envy of the world, Mr. Webb, and we salute you publicly. “Dr. Goddard was a great prophet, a true prophet. To some it seems almost incredible that a year before Lindbergh had ever flown the Atlantic he was dreaming and working to take us up into the stars. Like so many prophets, he was long without honor in his own country, but he never lost faith because his faith was founded on fact. He could turn aside the rebuffs of the shortsighted; he could laugh at the jokes of his detractors. “I just wish today that he could be here with us to observe what we have just seen. I don’t think he would be the least surprised by the progress we have made. I think he would be very proud.” ‘‘(Pres. Doc., 3/21/66, 399; SBD, 3/8/66,49; CR, 3/21/66, A1621)’’
The late Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard launched the first liquid fueled rocket from Auburn, Mass., 40 yrs. ago. Annually on the anniversary of the first flight, Goddard is honored by the National Space Club at a memorial banquet in Washington, D.C. In 1962, Vice President Johnson predicted that within 25 yrs. there would be a permanent base on the moon. Vice President Hubert Humphrey, delivering the 1966 address, emphasized that the space budget must be tightly planned: “I feel the necessity for cost consciousness. This is the need, to put it another way, of getting the most space for the tax dollar. These are times when we must exert high discipline in public expenditure and our space program cannot be exempt from that discipline.” Humphrey said he could foresee “dramatic achievements ahead” in space exploration, notably: (1) exploration of the lurain and possible establishment of one or more permanent bases there; (2) development of ‘‘a whole family of earth-orbiting stations, supplied by regular ferry services”; (3) development of “recoverable and reusable launch vehicles” and maneuverable spacecraft; (4) building of spaceports around the country; (5) improvement of propulsion methods so that planetary trips could be made in a week or less; (6) “launching of unmanned probes to every part of the solar system-and perhaps manned planetary expeditions as well.” ‘‘(Text, CR, 5/4/66)’’
National Space Club Press Award “in recognition of his exceptional photographic documentation of the manned space flight program” went to NASA photographer William P. Taub; Astronautics Engineer Award was given to Gemini program manager Charles W. Mathews “for his contribution to the nation’s manned space flight program as its key engineering pioneer to investigate the feasibility of manned space flight, culminating in Project Mercury. . . and in the successful Gemini program, as well as in the establishment and refinement of the Apollo configuration”; Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Award for “making a major advance in the state of the art of space systems” was presented jointly to MSC, USAF Space Systems Div., McDonnell Aircraft Corp., Martin Co., Aerojet-General Corp., General Electric Co., IBM Corp., and Westinghouse Electric Corp.; Robert H. Goddard Historical Essay Award was made to Airman L/C Frank H. Winter for “Danish Rocketry in the 19th Century”; Robert H. Goddard Scholarship ($1,500 to university of recipient’s choice) “in recognition of the need for higher scientific education of American youth of exceptional merit” was awarded Benjamin N. Early, a senior at Howard Univ., Washington, D.C. ‘‘(Text, Program)’’
NASA turned ESSA II (Environmental Survey Satellite) over to ESSA for operation in accordance with June 30, 1964, agreement between NASA and Dept. of Commerce. NASA had supervised design and construction of the satellite, conducted launch operations (Feb. 28), and tracked spacecraft after orbit was achieved; Dept. of Commerce had handled management and funding. ‘‘(NASA Release 66-62)’’
Breadboard version of NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) was tested by NASA and AEC at Nuclear Rocket Development Station, Jackass Flats, Nev. Control positioning error in initial ignition led to automatic flow shutdown. In 18-min. test following second, low-pressure start, reactor reached design power of 1,090 mw and exhaust temperature reached 3,630° F maximum. Test was fourth in series which began Feb. 3 and marked system’s eighth and ninth start. ‘‘(Atomic Energy Programs, 1966, 186)’’
Smithsonian Institution had photographed reflections of GEMINI VIII and GATV from tracking station 20 mi. north of Johannesburg on spacecraft’s first orbit. Photographs were described by station manager as being “not of the space vehicles themselves, but of the sunshine reflected by them. They will appear on the film as dots.” This was reportedly first time such photographs had been taken. ‘‘(AP, NYT, 3/18/66, 8)’’
Rep. Mark Andrews (R-N.D.) introduced a resolution calling for NSF to make recommendations for wider geographic distribution of Federal funds for research and development. ‘‘(CR, 3/16/66, 5755)’’
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