Whew, yesterday's mail was a lot of information. It was a lot to do in less than a decade. Much of the technology and techniques had to be invented and tested, not to mention, learning how to keep people alive while doing it. The Gemini program took advantage of existing military launch vehicles, with a new space capsule to test these solutions. We needed experience and testing a little at a time to reduce the risks, remember Ranger. Gemini will develop these capabilities:
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| Gemini-Titan Launch |
1) When we got to the moon, we wanted to get out and back into the LEM We had to build and test that a hatch cold be built that people could operate that would stand up to the pressure and forces of space travel.
2) Of course, we wanted to walk on the moon. That meant we had to build and test space suits that were strong enough to keep the astronaut alive but flexible enough for them to walk and perform tasks.
3) The SM and LEM had to dock twice. Once when taking it out of the storage bay, and again when it returned from the moon. We needed to learn how to do this and develop the docking hatches to make it work. Fail to dock and you leave astronauts at the moon.
4) When the LEM took off from the moon, it had to be able to rendezvous with the SCM in lunar orbit. The timing and techniques for this were precise. Even for STS-135, in a few weeks, there is a 10 minute launch window for when it can be launched and still rendezvous with the space station. Miss it and wait over 24 hours for the next chance.
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| Gemini Capsule had the life support as a separate module |
The Gemini capsule, in the picture, also implemented the separate command and service module components that would be used for Apollo. This provided for the extra room needed for power and life sustaining systems for the longer missions without having to make the pressure capsule many times bigger. We needed to keep people functioning for 8 days to get to the moon and back.
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