Fattening the Record Book
Before it blasted off from Cape Kennedy last week, the two-man spacecraft Gemini 10 faced a flight plan that was easily the most complex and ambitious ever designed for U.S. astronauts. By the time they splashed into the Atlantic after three days in orbit, Gemini's crew had collected an impressive variety of space-age records. With one after an other intricate exercise, Command Pilot John Young and his colleague, Michael Collins, wrote bright new chapters into the record book of space travel.
Gemini 10 became the first spaceship ever to use the fuel and propulsion system of another craft to power its own flight; it demonstrated the feasibility of refueling in space, a technique that promises to be a vital part of interplanetary travel to Mars and beyond. Gemini was also the first spacecraft to rendezvous with two different vehicles on the same flight. It flew higher than any previous manned spacecraft and Astronaut Mike Collins, at 35, became the first man to work outside, his ship twice during the same mission. All of which places the U.S. far ahead of Russia in almost every area of manned in space flight. rendezvous and With their docking while singular aloft skills—which the Russians have not yet begun to try—U.S. spacemen moved closer than ever to the moon.
Ominous Shortage. Using the knowledge of orbital mechanics that had been refined during earlier Gemini missions, Young and Collins gradually maneuvered toward a rendezvous with the Agena 10 target vehicle that had been placed in orbit with a precise launch just 100 minutes before their own blastoff. They established radar contact with the Agena 10 during their second revolution, finally sighted the target some 50 miles ahead and 17 miles above. After rising to meet the Agena and nudging Gemini's nose into the Agena's receiving collar, Young coupled the two ships.
Though the rendezvous and docking seemed almost routine, Houston controllers were shocked when Young reported that Gemini had only 380 lbs. of fuel left, about 36% of its original supply. Somehow the catch-up maneuvers during the last 25 minutes before rendezvous had consumed almost 260 lbs. more than expected.
Ominous though it was, Gemini's sudden fuel shortage provided Agena with an added opportunity to demonstrate that one spacecraft can use another's propulsion and control systems. On orders from Houston, the astronauts shut down Gemini's thrusters; for the remainder of the coupled flight, they used only Agena's power for both attitude and major orbital maneuvers, drawing on Agena's 3,348 lbs. of remaining propellant. One brief burst from Agena's big, 16,000-lb.-thrust engine added 280 m.p.h. to Gemini-Agena's velocity. "When that baby lights, there's no doubt about it," gasped Young.