Space: Of Glory & Cliches

NASA scientists continue to glow over Gemini 10’s space success, but key questions remain. Almost continuous debriefing of Astronauts John Young and Mike Collins has pinpointed but not solved the two major “gliches”—fuel shortage and eye watering—that almost snarled the threeday, record-setting flight.

Brute-Force Buttonhook. The fuel problem arose during Gemini 10’s tricky fourth-orbit rendezvous with Agena 10. To determine the final thrust required for the interception, Young and Collins used data from the on-board radar, inertial guidance and computer system. In some as yet unknown way, the system produced a figure nearly 7 ft. per sec. greater than the figure radioed up from ground control. When Collins’ own slide-rule tabulation agreed with the spacecraft guidance system, Command Pilot Young chose to go with the double-checked on-board answer.

Ten minutes into the maneuver, Young realized that he had overthrust and was headed into an orbit aiming him several miles behind and above the Agena. Jamming his control stick down, Young dived the spacecraft in a brute-force attempt to get back on the correct trajectory. He failed, but finally did manage to swerve the spacecraft into a nearly normal “buttonhook” rendezvous. Though his quick thinking saved the maneuver, the incident burned up 268 more lbs. of precious propellant than mission plans had anticipated.

Spectacular Views. Engineers remain stumped over what pungent substance irritated the crew’s eyes during Collins’ first EVA (extra vehicular activity). One new suggestion is that urine somehow invaded the breathing lines, but the Gemini 10 spacemen quickly vetoed that theory, insisting that the eye-swelling fumes were in no way similar to urine. One guess now is that the special antifog mist wiped on both space-suit visors prior to the EVA reacted chemically with particles of lithium hydroxide (used to purify the astronauts’ breathing system).

Mission photographs were disappointing—the team brought back no movies or still pictures of Collins’ two EVAs or of the earth from the 476-mile record apogee. Young’s films of the space walk showed nothing but blurry blue sky. Ironically, the best black-and-white movies show nothing more enlightening than the crew mugging in the spacecraft with a free-floating camera. Even so, NASA officials were quick to point out that the crew did shoot the first daylight pictures of a docked Gemini-Age-na—and one of the most spectacular views of the earth’s curvature ever seen by nonastronauts (see color pages).

Even more ambitious flight plans are now being polished for Commander Charles Conrad (command pilot) and Lieut. Commander Richard Gordon (pilot), who are scheduled to launch in Gemini 11 shortly after Labor Day. To be attempted:

> A tricky first orbit rendezvous over the Pacific with an Agena launched before the Gemini, simulating the critical Apollo-Lunar Excursion Module moon rendezvous.

> A record 860-mile apogee for two or three orbits—considerably higher than Gemini 10’s top apogee.

> One full space walk (at lower altitudes) during which Pilot Gordon will manipulate a battery-operated wrench to fasten and unfasten several bolts on a plate outside the spacecraft.

During his EVA, Gordon will attach one end of a 100-ft. Dacron tether to Gemini 11, then float over to attach the tether’s other end to the Agena. With hatch closed, the crew will back off until the tether is taut, then try to create artificial gravity within the spacecraft by twirling it, like a bucket at the end of a line. The 100-ft. hobble may also prove to be an efficient method of stationkeeping with the Agena.

There is no plan to rendezvous Gemini 11 with either Agena 8 or 10. However, the first three-man Apollo flight, now scheduled for mid-November, probably will seek out one of the two patient Agenas. Soon—the moon.