1966 in spaceflight
The year 1966 saw the peak and the end of the Gemini program. The program proved that docking in space and human EVA's could be done safely. It saw the first launch of the Saturn IB rocket, an important step in the Apollo program, and the launch of Luna 9, the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on a celestial object (the Moon).
Gemini 8 about to dock with its Agena target vehicle, the first time two spacecraft dock in orbit. | |
Orbital launches | |
---|---|
First | 7 January |
Last | 29 December |
Total | 131 |
Successes | 111 |
Failures | 13 |
Partial failures | 7 |
Catalogued | 118 |
Crewed flights | |
Orbital | 5 |
Total travellers | 10 |
Launches
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) |
Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
January | |||||||
7 January 04:48:23 |
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USAF | Planned: Low Earth | Meteorology | 7 January | Launch failure | |||
Second stage failed to ignite | |||||||
7 January 08:24 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 15 January | Partial Failure | ||||
Third stage failed to put spacecraft in correct orbit | |||||||
19 January 20:10 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | ??? | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Technology | 23 January 1966 | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | 25 January 1966 | Successful | ||||
22 January 08:38 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 30 January | Successful | ||||
25 January 12:28 |
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Low Earth | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful | ||||
28 January 17:06:00 |
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Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||||
31 January 11:41:37 |
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Lunar transfer | Lunar lander | 3 February 18:45 | Successful | ||||
First spacecraft to soft land on the surface of the Moon and of any planetary object. | |||||||
February | |||||||
2 February 21:32:13 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 27 February | Successful | |||
3 February 07:41:23 |
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ESSA | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | |||
5 February 12:19:49 |
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RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 5 February | Successful | |||
Maiden flight of R-36O, apogee: 200 kilometres (120 mi) | |||||||
9 February 19:45:01 |
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NRO | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful | |||
10 February 08:52 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 18 February | Successful | ||||
11 February 18:00 |
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Low Earth | Atmospheric research | In orbit | Successful | ||||
15 February 20:32 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | ??? | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Film return | 22 February 1966 | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Radar calibration | 17 February 1966 | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Radar calibration | 22 February 1966 | Successful | ||||
17 February 08:33:36 |
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Armée de Terre | Low Earth | Geodetic science | In orbit | Successful | |||
19 February 08:52 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 27 February | Successful | ||||
21 February | |||||||
Planned: Low Earth | ELINT | 21 February | Failure | ||||
First stage failure at T+83 seconds | |||||||
22 February 20:09:36 |
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Low Earth | Uncrewed spacecraft | 16 March | Successful | ||||
26 February 16:12:01 |
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NASA | Sub-orbital | Test spacecraft | 26 February 16:49:21 | Successful | |||
First flight of the Apollo Spacecraft and launch vehicle | |||||||
28 February 13:58:00 |
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ESSA | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | |||
March | |||||||
1 March 11:03:49 |
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Intended: Lunar transfer | Lunar orbiter | 1 March | Launch failure | ||||
9 March 22:02:03 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 29 March | Successful | |||
16 March 15:00:03 |
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US Air Force | Low Earth | Docking target | 15 September 1967 | Successful | |||
16 March 16:41:02 |
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NASA | Low Earth | Technology/Biological/Target | 17 March 03:22:28 | Successful | |||
First docking with the Agena target vehicle | |||||||
17 March 10:28:42 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 25 March 1966 05:31 | Successful | ||||
18 March 20:00 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | ??? | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Film return | 23 March 1966 | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | 24 March 1966 | Successful | ||||
21 March 09:40 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 29 March | Successful | ||||
24 March 14:39 |
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Intended: Low Earth | Physics | 24 March | Launch failure | ||||
2nd stage engine failure T+122 seconds. Suspected collision with the first stage following separation. | |||||||
26 March 03:31:00 |
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Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||||
27 March 07:20 |
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Intended: Molniya | Communications technology | 27 March | Launch failure | ||||
Booster failure | |||||||
30 March 09:20:12 |
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US Air Force | Low Earth | REV test | In orbit | Successful | |||
Low Earth | REV test | In orbit | Successful | ||||
31 March 05:41:04 |
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USAF | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | |||
31 March 10:46:59 |
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Lunar transfer | Lunar orbiter | 30 May (last contact) | Successful | ||||
First Soviet lunar orbiter, first discoverer of lunar mascons | |||||||
April | |||||||
6 April 11:40 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 14 April[2] | Successful | ||||
7 April 22:02:55 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 26 April 1966 | Successful | |||
Low Earth | ??? | ??? | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | ??? | Successful | ||||
8 April 01:00:02 |
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NASA | Highly elliptical | Technology | 14 April | Failure[3] | |||
Launch vehicle development flight. It carried a mass model of the Surveyor spacecraft. The second Centaur engine firing was unsuccessful. | |||||||
8 April 19:35:00 |
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NASA | Low Earth | In orbit | Spacecraft failure | ||||
19 April 19:15 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 26 April 1966 | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Film return | 22 April 1966 | Successful | ||||
20 April 10:40 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 28 April 1966 | Successful | ||||
22 April 09:45 |
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USAF | Low Earth | Radiation belt particle and fields experiments | In orbit | Successful | |||
25 April 07:10 |
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Molniya | Communications technology | 11 June 1973 | Successful | ||||
Third successful Molniya; also transmitted cloud cover images | |||||||
26 April 10:04 |
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Low Earth | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful | ||||
May | |||||||
3 May 19:25:25 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 3 May | Failure | |||
Low Earth | Film return | 3 May | Failure | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | 3 May | Failure | ||||
6 May 10:58 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 14 May 1966 | Successful | ||||
11 May 14:10 |
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Low Earth | Weather | 23 November 1988 | Successful | ||||
14 May 19:02 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 27 October 1970 | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Film return | 17 May 1966 | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | 21 May 1966 | Successful | ||||
15 May 07:55:34 |
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NASA | Low Earth | Weather Technology | In orbit | Successful | |||
17 May 11:00 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 17 May | Failure | ||||
17 May 15:15:03 |
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US Air Force | Low Earth | Docking target | 17 May | Launch failure | |||
19 May 02:27:00 |
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Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||||
19 May 19:30 |
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RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 May | Successful | |||
24 May 02:00:33 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 9 June 1966 | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Film return | ??? | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | ??? | Successful | ||||
24 May 05:31? |
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Low Earth | Ionospheric research | In orbit | Successful | ||||
25 May 14:00 |
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NASA | Low Earth | Atmospheric | 22 February 1985 | Successful | |||
30 May 14:41:01 |
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NASA | Highly elliptical | Lunar Lander | 2 June 1966 | Successful | |||
First lunar soft-lander | |||||||
June | |||||||
1 June 15:00:02 |
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US Air Force | Low Earth | Docking target | 11 June | Spacecraft failure | |||
Shroud failed to come off target adapter precluding docking | |||||||
3 June 13:39:33 |
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NASA | Low Earth | Technology/Biological/Target | 6 June 02:00:23 | Successful | |||
Failed attempt to dock with Agena target vehicle; two hour EVA by Eugene Cernan | |||||||
3 June 19:25 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 6 June | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Film return | 6 June | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | 6 June | Successful | ||||
7 June 02:48 |
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NASA | Low Earth | Ionospheric Magnetospheric | 14 September 1981 | Success | |||
Routine spacecraft operation was discontinued on 1 December 1969, after which only data from Heppner's experiment (E-11) was acquired. All spacecraft support terminated on 29 February 1972. | |||||||
8 June 11:00 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 16 June | Successful | ||||
9 June 20:15 |
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USAF | Low Earth | Early Warning | 3 December | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Technology (performed metal-to-metal bonding experiments) | 12 March 1967 | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Geodectic | 6 July 1967 | Successful | ||||
10 June 04:15 |
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USAF | Low Earth | Tissue equivalent radiation chamber, linear energy transfer spectrometer, electron and proton spectrometers, a solid state charged particle spectrometer and a tri-axial magnetometer. | In orbit | Successful | |||
16 June 14:01 |
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USAF | Low Earth | Gravity Gradient stabilization | In orbit | Partial Spacecraft Failure -- magnetic field in one of the dampers was compromised[5] | |||
Low Earth | Geosynchronous Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Geosynchronous Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Geosynchronous Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Geosynchronous Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Geosynchronous Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Geosynchronous Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||||
Low Earth | Geosynchronous Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||||
17 Jun 11:00 |
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Low Earth | Optical reconnaissance | 25 Jun | Successful | ||||
21 Jun 21:23:30 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 14 July | Success | |||
Low Earth | Film return | Before 14 July | Success | ||||
Low Earth | Film return | Before 14 July | Success | ||||
24 Jun 21:31:30 |
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NASA | Low Earth | Geodetic | 1975 - 2016 | Successful | |||
25 Jun 10:30 |
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Low Earth | Weather | 14 November 1989 | Successful | ||||
July | |||||||
1 Jul 16:02:25 |
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NASA | High Earth | Magnetospheric | In orbit | Successful | |||
5 July 16:12:01 |
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NASA | Low Earth | S-IVB test | 5 July | Successful (spacecraft inadvertently destroyed after four orbits) | |||
6 July 12:57 |
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Low Earth | Physics | 16 Sep | Successful | ||||
8 July 05:31 |
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Low Earth | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful | ||||
12 July 02:10:025 |
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NRO | Low Earth | Optical Reconnaissance | 20 Jul 1966 | Successful | |||
Low Earth | Film return | July | Successful | ||||
August | |||||||
September | |||||||
Gemini 11 October | |||||||
November | |||||||
December | |||||||
Launches 2
Launch Date/Time | Rocket | Launch Site |
Launch Contractor | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Mission/ Function |
Re-Entry/ Destruction |
Outcome | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 March 15:00 GMT |
Atlas D | LC-14, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | GATV 5003 | NASA | LEO | Gemini docking target. | 15 September 1967 | Successful | Used by Gemini 8 and Gemini 10 |
16 March 16:41 GMT |
Titan II | LC-19, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | Gemini 8, 2 Astronauts | NASA | LEO | Crewed Orbital Flight | 17 March 1966 | Partial Failure | First docking in space. (with GATV). OAMS malfunction caused loss of control. Spacecraft became low on fuel after recovering. Terminated early. |
17 May 15:12 GMT |
Atlas D | LC-14, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | GATV 5004 | NASA | LEO | Gemini docking target. | 17 May 1966 | Failure | Failed to reach orbit. Intended for use by Gemini 9 |
1 June 15:00 GMT |
Atlas SLV-3 | LC-14, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | ATDA 02186 | NASA | LEO | Gemini docking target. | 11 June 1966 | Failure | Fairing failed to separate Intended for use by Gemini 9A |
3 June 16:41 GMT |
Titan II | LC-19, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | Gemini 9A, 2 Astronauts | NASA | LEO | Crewed Orbital Flight | 6 June 1966 | Partial Failure | Unable to complete primary objective - Docking with ATDA - due to ATDA payload fairing malfunction |
5 July 14:53 GMT |
Saturn IB (C-1B) | LC-37B, Cape Canaveral | NASA | (none) | N/A | N/A | Test launch vehicle | N/A | Successful | |
18 July 20:39 GMT |
Atlas D | LC-14, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | GATV 5005 | NASA | LEO | Gemini docking target. | 29 December 1966 | Successful | Used by Gemini 10 |
18 July 22:20 GMT |
Titan II | LC-19, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | Gemini 10, 2 Astronauts | NASA | LEO | Crewed Orbital Flight | 21 July 1966 | Successful | |
25 August 17:15 GMT |
Saturn IB (C-1B) | LC-34, Cape Canaveral | NASA | Apollo Spacecraft (AS-202) | NASA | Sub-orbital | Test Apollo Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle | 25 August 1966 18:48 GMT |
Successful | |
12 September 13:05 GMT |
Atlas D | LC-14, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | GATV 5006 | NASA | LEO | Gemini docking target. | 30 December 1966 | Successful | Used by Gemini 11 |
12 September 14:42 GMT |
Titan II | LC-19, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | Gemini 11, 2 Astronauts | NASA | LEO | Crewed Orbital Flight | 15 September 1966 | Successful | Altitude record for crewed Earth-Orbit flight |
11 November 20:46 GMT |
Atlas D | LC-14, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | GATV 5001A | NASA | LEO | Gemini docking target. | 23 December 1966 | Failure | Failed to ignite. Used by Gemini 12 |
11 November 20:46 GMT |
Titan II | LC-19, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | Gemini 12, 2 Astronauts | NASA | LEO | Crewed Orbital Flight | 15 November 1966 | Successful | Final Gemini flight |
Deep Space Rendezvous
Date (UTC) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
3 February | Luna 9 | First Lunar landing | in Oceanus Procellarum; first soft landing on a celestial body and first images from Lunar surface |
27 February | Venera 2 | Flyby of Venus | Communication lost en route |
1 March | Venera 3 | First Venus impact | Communication lost en route |
3 April | Luna 10 | Selenocentric orbit insertion | first orbiter of the Moon |
2 June | Surveyor 1 | Lunar landing | in Oceanus Procellarum |
14 August | Lunar Orbiter 1 | Selenocentric orbit insertion | Returned 211 images |
27 August | Luna 11 | Selenocentric orbit insertion | |
23 September | Surveyor 2 | Lunar impact | Failed lander, impacted Sinus Medii |
25 October | Luna 12 | Selenocentric orbit insertion | |
29 October | Lunar Orbiter 1 | Lunar impact | |
10 November | Lunar Orbiter 2 | Selenocentric orbit injection | Returned 184 images |
24 December | Luna 13 | Lunar landing | in Oceanus Procellarum |
EVAs
Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 June 15:02 |
2 hours 7 minutes |
17:09 | Gemini IX-A | A complex EVA was planned.[6] Cernan expended four to five times the expected effort, raising his pulse as high as 180 beats per minute. Excess heat and respiration completely fogged visor, causing the EVA to be cut short. Cernan also had difficulty returning to spacecraft and closing the hatch.[7] | |
19 July 21:44 |
49 Minutes | 22:33 | Gemini X | Collins performed a stand-up EVA. Instead of climbing completely out of the spacecraft, Collins extended his torso outside the spacecraft to take photos before and after capsule sunrise. Color photography after sunrise was only partly completed due to severe eye irritation of both Collins and Command Pilot Young. Handling the camera proved difficult due to stiffness of spacesuit gloves.[8] | |
20 July 23:01 |
39 minutes | 23:40 | Gemini X | Umbilical EVA; with more difficulty than expected, Collins collected the micrometeorite collection package from the outside of Gemini. Then, using the Hand Held Maneuvering Unit, he pushed to the nearby Agena-8 to collect its micrometeorite collection package. Collins then pulled on the umbilical cord to return and re-enter the spacecraft.[9] | |
13 September 14:44 |
33 minutes | 15:17 | Gemini XI | Gordon attached a tether between Gemini and Agena 11 for later orbital mechanics testing. While making the attachment, his work load exceeded the spacesuit cooling system, and his vision became obscured by a fogged visor and sweat in his eyes. Planned activities were curtailed by Command Pilot Conrad and Gordon returned to the spacecraft.[10] | |
14 September 12:49 |
2 hours 8 minutes |
14:57 | Gemini XI | Gordon performed a stand-up EVA. He extended through the hatch to take astronomical photos. Conrad reported the spacewalk was so relaxing they both fell asleep for a moment after sunrise.[11] | |
12 November 16:15 |
2 hours 29 minutes |
18:44 | Gemini XII | Aldrin performed a stand-up EVA. Aldrin stood, took UV still photos and 16 mm color movie pictures, collected external experimental samples, and conducted a light exercise routine.[12] | |
13 November 15:34 |
2 hours 6 minutes |
17:40 | Gemini XII | First completely successful umbilical EVA, with all objectives achieved. Aldrin was able to control his movements and restrict his work load using techniques developed using underwater zero gravity simulations. He also benefited from experiences of the previous American EVAs and was able to move around the outside of the craft, deploy and recover various experimental packages, install and remove cameras, and practice work techniques using a ratchet-type wrench.[13] | |
14 November 14:52 |
55 minutes | 15:47 | Gemini XII | Aldrin performed a second stand-up EVA. He again extended outside the hatch to take photographs and repeat the light exercise experiment. Exertion levels during exercise were comparable to preflight simulations. Equipment and waste food containers not needed for reentry were jettisoned from the spacecraft.[14] |
gollark: I think link2006 made a log-over-skynet thing, actually.
gollark: I think you'd need to override print/term stuff.
gollark: Because the slight memory usage reduction isn't really worth the significant complexity.
gollark: <@!156933717628026880> Talking here since I apparently can't log in: sell at market prices and nobody will buy from you; they'll go to the better-stocked/advertised/located stores.
gollark: Wolf Mall: a wonderful symbol of economic inequality.
References
Generic references:
Spaceflight portal
- Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
- Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
- Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
- Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report".
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Jonathan's Space Report".
- Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
- Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
- Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
- Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
- "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
- "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
- "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
- "Space Information Center". JAXA.
- "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).
Footnotes
- "Recovery Beacon Signals from Kosmos Satellites". Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- "Recovery Beacon Signals from Kosmos Satellites". Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- "Major NASA Launches" (PDF). Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- "OV".
- "GGTS 1,2". Gunter's Space Report. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- Jim Dumoulin (25 August 2000). "NASA Project Gemini IX-A (9)". NASA Historical Archive for Manned Missions. NASA. Archived from the original on 19 January 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
- Cernan "The Last Man on the Moon", p. 129-144.
- Mathews, Charles W.; Low, George M. (August 1966). "Gemini Program Mission Report: Gemini X" (PDF). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. pp. 7‑5, 7‑31. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- Mathews Gemini Program Mission Report: Gemini X, p. 7-32
- "Gemini 11". National Space Science Data Center. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
- Chaikin, Andrew (1998). A Man on the Moon. New York: Penguin Books. p. 243. ISBN 0-670-81446-6.
- Mathews, Charles W.; Low, George M. (January 1967). "Gemini XII Program Mission Report" (PDF). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. pp. 7–27. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
- Mathews, Gemini XII Program Mission Report, p. 7-28, 7-29, 7-43
- Mathews, Gemini XII Program Mission Report, p. 7-30
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