By Ben Evans, on January 16th, 2017
Gene Cernan salutes the U.S. flag at Taurus-Littrow in December 1972. Photo Credit: NASA
On 16 January, a day of reflection—the 14th anniversary of the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia on her final mission—the world lost a shining light in the early annals of human space exploration. Retired Navy Capt. Gene Cernan, veteran […]
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By Ben Evans, on November 5th, 2016
Stunning perspective of Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba, captured by the Gemini XII astronauts. Photo Credit: NASA
Five decades have now passed since the final curtain was drawn down on Project Gemini—America’s effort to perfect the techniques of rendezvous, docking, long-duration spaceflight, and spacewalking—ahead of fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing […]
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By Ben Evans, on June 4th, 2016
Gemini IX finally flew in June 1966, carrying astronauts Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan. Photo Credit: NASA
In many ways, NASA’s Gemini IX mission—tasked with spending three days in space, performing a lengthy spacewalk, a rendezvous, and a docking with an unmanned Agena target vehicle—was hamstrung by bad luck. First, in February 1966, […]
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By Ben Evans, on May 14th, 2016
Had history been kinder, this might have been the view from Gemini IX’s windows, 50 years ago, this week. However, the failure of the Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle (GATV) to reach orbit on 17 May 1966 led to a two-week delay to the mission of Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan. Photo Credit: NASA, via […]
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By Ben Evans, on February 28th, 2016
The remains of NASA 901, the T-38 jet which carried the Gemini IX prime crew of Elliot See and Charlie Bassett. Photo Credit: St. Louis Post-Dispatch archive
At 7:41 a.m. CST on 28 February 1966—exactly 50 years ago, to this very day—a pair of sleek T-38 Talon jets took off from Ellington Field, […]
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By Ben Evans, on February 27th, 2016
Assigned in November 1965, the Gemini IX crew of Elliot See (left) and Charlie Bassett were tasked with flying a 48-72-hour mission in the late spring of 1966. Their flight would have demonstrated rendezvous, docking, maneuvering, and spacewalking. Photo Credit: NASA
Fifty years ago, this month, in February 1966, NASA and America’s effort […]
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By Ben Evans, on March 18th, 2015 Five decades have now passed since humanity’s first foray beyond the confines of their pressurized spacecraft and into the airless void beyond. Photo Credit: NASA
Fifty years ago, today, on 18 March 1965, a 30-year-old Soviet cosmonaut named Alexei Leonov became the first human in history to depart the confines of his spacecraft […]
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By Ben Evans, on June 7th, 2014 An exhausted Gene Cernan can barely manage a grimace for Tom Stafford’s camera after completing his spacewalk on Gemini IX-A. Had the hands of fate played out a little differently, this seat might instead have been occupied by Charlie Bassett. Photo Credit: NASA
In the late spring of 1966, the Gemini IX mission […]
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By Ben Evans, on November 2nd, 2013 The nose of Gemini XII and the grandeur of Earth, as captured by Buzz Aldrin during one of his sessions of EVA. Photo Credit: NASA
Not long after his return from the Gemini IX-A mission, astronaut Gene Cernan was summoned to Deke Slayton’s office and was asked an unusual question.
“Geno, how soon […]
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