This program was estimated to put an American around the moon for only $ 60 million more than the basic $ 356 million program. The difference consisted of a backup inertial navigator and additional heat shielding for re-entry at 11 km/sec instead of 8 km/sec. The lunar Gemini spacecraft would have weighed 3,170 kg, an extra 270 kg over the basic rendezvous Gemini. The Centaur would be launched atop a Titan II booster. The original AugMercury Mark II program plan went like this:Ĭentaur docking, boost to high Earth orbit But in 1961, as a direct challenge to the Apollo project and Lyndon Johnson's dream of a Southern High Technology Crescent, they were anathema. Such proposals might be welcomed by the current 'cheaper, better, faster' NASA. But NASA's James Chamberlin and McDonnell Aircraft considered Gemini as a viable competitor to Apollo for the circumlunar and lunar landing missions. NASA was already committed to the three-man Apollo spacecraft and considered Gemini an interim spacecraft to test rendezvous, docking, and EVA techniques before Apollo was available. In the wake of the Apollo fire, use of Gemini B, launched atop a Saturn V, as a Universal Lunar Rescue Vehicle (April 1967)Īt its birth Gemini was known as the Mercury Mark II program.Circumlunar Gemini, launched by Saturn IB, to replace cancelled Apollo circumlunar flights (March 1964).Use of Gemini, launched atop a Saturn V, as a Lunar Logistics and Rescue Vehicle (September 1962).Lunar landing by Gemini, boosted by a Saturn C-3, in competition with Apollo, as part of the revised original Gemini program plan (September 1961).Circumlunar flights by Gemini, boosted by Centaur, as part of the original Mercury program plan (August 1961).There were several proposals for lunar Gemini, right up to the very end of the program: Alternatively, rendezvous and docking of components launched by two small rockets (Titan 3C's or Saturn IB's) would eliminate the need for development of the Saturn V. The Gemini re-entry capsule, smaller and lighter than that of Apollo, would allow direct launch of a mission to the moon using a single rocket. Right up to the end of the Gemini program, the Gemini spacecraft was considered by its contractor and certain factions within NASA as an alternate means of reaching the moon. The Gusmobile might have gotten on the moon faster, quicker, cheaper (but not better.) From top to bottom: the Gemini re-entry module the lunar ascent stage the lunar descent stage the lunar orbit insertion stage. Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9Ī- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- ZĮxploded view of the Gemini Lunar Surface Rescue Spacecraft.
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