Race to the Moon: the Days of Project Gemini
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In Memory of Astronaut Michael Collins Photo Credit
Gemini & Apollo Astronaut, BGEN, USAF, Ret, Test Pilot, and Author Dies at 90 The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is saddened to report the loss of space man Michael Collins BGEN, USAF, Ret., and NASA astronaut who has passed away on April 28, 2021 at the age of 90; he was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Pat and his son Michael and is survived by their daughters Kate and Ann and many grandchildren. Collins is best known for being one of the crew of Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land humans on the moon. Michael Collins was born in Rome, Italy on October 31, 1930. In 1952 he graduated from West Point (same class as future fellow astronaut, Ed White) with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He joined the U.S. Air Force and was assigned to the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing at George AFB in California. He subsequently moved to Europe when they relocated to Chaumont-Semoutiers AFB in France. Once during a test flight, he was forced to eject from an F-86 after a fire started behind the cockpit; he was safely rescued and returned to Chaumont. He was accepted into the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. In 1960 he became a member of Class 60C which included future astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Irwin, and Tom Stafford. His inspiration to become an astronaut was the Mercury Atlas 6 flight of John Glenn and with this inspiration, he applied to NASA. In 1963 he was selected in the third group of NASA astronauts. -
Gemini 4 an Astronaut Steps Into the Void
springer.com Popular Science : Popular Science in Astronomy Shayler, David J. Gemini 4 An Astronaut Steps into the Void Details the first American spacewalk in a leap forward from the Mercury program Follows each detail of Gemini's extended duration flight, NASA's first, relying extensively on archives Continues the Pioneers in Early Spaceflight series which looks one-by-one at the Mercury and Gemini flights The flight of Gemini 4 in June 1965 was conducted barely four years after the first Americans flew in space. It was a bold step by NASA to accomplish the first American spacewalk and to extend the U.S. flight duration record to four days. This would be double the experience gained from the six Mercury missions combined. This daring mission was the first to be directed from Springer the new Mission Control at the Manned Spacecraft Center near Houston, Texas. It also revealed 1st ed. 2018, XXV, 378 p. that: Working outside the spacecraft would require further study. Developing the techniques to 1st 81 illus., 46 illus. in color. rendezvous with another object in space would not be as straightforward as NASA had hoped. edition Living in a small spacecraft for several days was a challenging but necessary step in the quest for even longer flights.Despite the risks, the gamble that astronauts Jim McDivitt and Ed White undertook paid off. Gemini 4 gave NASA the confidence to attempt an even longer flight the Printed book next time. That next mission would simulate the planned eight-day duration of an Apollo lunar Softcover voyage. -
Through Astronaut Eyes: Photographing Early Human Spaceflight
Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Purdue University Press Book Previews Purdue University Press 6-2020 Through Astronaut Eyes: Photographing Early Human Spaceflight Jennifer K. Levasseur Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_previews This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. THROUGH ASTRONAUT EYES PURDUE STUDIES IN AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS James R. Hansen, Series Editor Purdue Studies in Aeronautics and Astronautics builds on Purdue’s leadership in aeronautic and astronautic engineering, as well as the historic accomplishments of many of its luminary alums. Works in the series will explore cutting-edge topics in aeronautics and astronautics enterprises, tell unique stories from the history of flight and space travel, and contemplate the future of human space exploration and colonization. RECENT BOOKS IN THE SERIES British Imperial Air Power: The Royal Air Forces and the Defense of Australia and New Zealand Between the World Wars by Alex M Spencer A Reluctant Icon: Letters to Neil Armstrong by James R. Hansen John Houbolt: The Unsung Hero of the Apollo Moon Landings by William F. Causey Dear Neil Armstrong: Letters to the First Man from All Mankind by James R. Hansen Piercing the Horizon: The Story of Visionary NASA Chief Tom Paine by Sunny Tsiao Calculated Risk: The Supersonic Life and Times of Gus Grissom by George Leopold Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer by Jerry L. Ross THROUGH ASTRONAUT EYES Photographing Early Human Spaceflight Jennifer K. -
Celebrate Apollo
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Celebrate Apollo Exploring The Moon, Discovering Earth “…We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share. … I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish …” President John F. Kennedy May 25, 1961 Celebrate Apollo Exploring The Moon, Discovering Earth Less than five months into his new administration, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy, announced the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade. Coming just three weeks after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, Kennedy’s bold challenge that historic spring day set the nation on a journey unparalleled in human history. Just eight years later, on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module, taking “one small step” in the Sea of Tranquility, thus achieving “one giant leap for mankind,” and demonstrating to the world that the collective will of the nation was strong enough to overcome any obstacle. It was an achievement that would be repeated five other times between 1969 and 1972. By the time the Apollo 17 mission ended, 12 astronauts had explored the surface of the moon, and the collective contributions of hundreds of thousands of engineers, scientists, astronauts and employees of NASA served to inspire our nation and the world. -
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin: Armstrong on the Surface
EXPLORER A4 THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY MONDAY, JULY 20, 2009 The 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 Apollo 15 Apollo 17 Apollo 11 Apollo 12 Apollo 14 Apollo 16 About Apollo 11 The $20 billion Apollo moon land- ing program led to six successful Saturn V moon landings. The first was on July 20, 1969. Three astronauts rocket were on the Apollo 11 mission. Command Michael Collins remained in orbit module: around the moon while Neil Three seats Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin flew the lunar lander to the moon’s surface. Service Armstrong was the first man to walk module: on the moon. An automat- Fuel and ed television camera rocket engine broadcast him step- Associated Press photo ping onto the lunar The second man to walk the moon, Buzz Aldrin planted an American flag on July 20, 1969. surface and saying, “That’s one small step Lunar for man, one giant leap lander for mankind.” Minutes later, Aldrin joined Astronaut Buzz Aldrin: Armstrong on the surface. They took soil and rock sam- ples, set up experiments and planted an American flag with a steel wire to hold it aloft in the absence of wind. N.J.’s man on the moon Third stage The Apollo program rocket: would send astronauts to One engine the moon five more By DAN GROTE times. On some of those For The Press, 609-272-7234 missions, astronauts One of New Jersey’s most famous sons has used a “lunar rover” to walked on the moon, served our country drive across the during the KoreanWar, had an award crafted moon’s surface. -
Apollo Space Suit
APOLLO SPACE S UIT 1962–1974 Frederica, Delaware A HISTORIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LANDMARK SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 DelMarVa Subsection Histor y of the Apollo Space Suit This model would be used on Apollo 7 through Apollo 14 including the first lunar mission of Neil Armstrong and Buzz International Latex Corporation (ILC) was founded in Aldrin on Apollo 11. Further design improvements were made to Dover, Delaware in 1937 by Abram Nathanial Spanel. Mr. Spanel improve mobility for astronauts on Apollo 15 through 17 who was an inventor who became proficient at dipping latex material needed to sit in the lunar rovers and perform more advanced to form bathing caps and other commercial products. He became mobility exercises on the lunar surface. This suit was known as famous for ladies apparel made under the brand name of Playtex the model A7LB. A slightly modified ILC Apollo suit would also go that today is known worldwide. Throughout WWII, Spanel drove on to support the Skylab program and finally the American-Soyuz the development and manufacture of military rubberized products Test Program (ASTP) which concluded in 1975. During the entire to help our troops. In 1947, Spanel used the small group known time the Apollo suit was produced, manufacturing was performed as the Metals Division to develop military products including at both the ILC plant on Pear Street in Dover, Delaware, as well as several popular pressure helmets for the U.S. Air Force. the ILC facility in Frederica, Delaware. In 1975, the Dover facility Based upon the success of the pressure helmets, the Metals was closed and all operations were moved to the Frederica plant. -
Gus Grissom: the Lost Astronaut Ray E
Gus Grissom: The Lost Astronaut Ray E. Boomhower INDIANA BIOGRAPHY SERIES In the late 1950s the Soviet Union shocked the world John F. Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the moon by placing a small satellite-Sputnik-in orbit around and returninghim safely home by the end of the 1960s. the Earth. Treated as a technological Pearl Harbor in the United States, the Russian achievement In this second volume in the Indiana Historical Society prompted the fe deral government to create a Press's Indiana Biography Series, Hoosier historian civilian organ ization, the National Aeronautics and and writer Ray E. Boomhower explores Grissom's life, Space Administration, to manage the American space fr om his days as a child playing in the fo rests of nearby program. By April 1959, NASA had selected seven Spring Mill State Park to his service as a combat pilot military test pilots to serve as the country's fi rst flying missions against Communist opponents in the astronauts in the race with the Soviets to see who skies oYer Korea. He also delves into the process by could put the first human in space. which NASA selected its original seven Mercury astro mults, the jostling fo r position to be the first American One of the seven Americans picked fo r this ambitious in space, Grissom 's near-fatal Liberty Bell 7 flight that effort came from the small southern Indiana com haunted his subsequent space career, his successful munity of Mitchell. Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom would go Gemini mission with john Yo ung, and the fa tal Apollo on to become the first man to fly in space twice and 1 fire that claimed the life of Grissom and fe llow crew to give his life in NASA's attempt to meet President members Ed White and Roger Chaffee. -
IAG09.B6.3.6 21St CENTURY EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITIES
IAG09.B6.3.6 21 St CENTURY EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITIES: SYNERGIZING PAST AND PRESENT TRAINING METHODS FOR FUTURE SPACEWALKING Si"CCESS Sandra K. Moore, Ph.D. United Space Alliance, LLC 600 Gelrlini, Houston TX; 77058-2783 ;USA sandra.k.moore@rasa. gov Matthew A. Gast United Space Alliance, LLC 600 Gelrlini, Houston TX, 77058-2783; USA lnatthew.gast-1 @nasa.gov Abstract Neil Armstrong's understated words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." were spoken from Tranquility Base forty years ago. Even today, those words resonate in the ears of millions, including many who had yet to be born when man first landed on the surface of the moon. By their very nature, and in the tnie spirit of exploration, extravehicular activities (EVAs) have generated much excitement throughout the history of manned spaceflight. From Ed White's first space walk in June of 1965, to the first steps on the moon in 1969, to the expected completion of the International Space Station (ISS), the ability to exist, live and work in the vacuum of space has stood as a beacon of what is possible. It was NASA's first spacewalk that taught engineers on the ground the valuable lesson that successful spacewalking requires a unique set of learned skills. That lesson sparked extensive efforts to develop and define the training requirements necessary to ensure success. As focus shifted from orbital activities to lunar surface activities, the required skill-set and subsequently the training methods, changed. The requirements duly changed again when NASA left the moon for the last time in 1972 and have continued to evolve through the Skylab, Space Shuttle ; and ISS eras. -
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“We choose to go to the moon ...” President John F. Kennedy’s commitment to landing an astronaut “on the Moon and returning him back safely to the Earth” was particularly audacious considering when he fi rst voiced the challenge, only one American had been in space for a grand total of 15 minutes and 28 seconds. Here is a look back at some of the milestones NASA and its astronauts reached on their way to the Moon. Learn more by visiting the John F. Kennedy Presidential 2 Library & Museum at www.jfklibrary.org 3 Only in the Sixties The Sixties could be described in words Charles To put President Kennedy’s proclamation in pers- Sadly, Gordon Cooper’s Faith 7 mission was the last Dickens had written just over a century before the pective, it is useful to remember that he made the of NASA’s manned space fl ights to take place in decade began: “It was the best of times, it was the speech only 16 months after America’s fi rst manned President Kennedy’s lifetime. worst of times ... “ space flight and seven months after John Glenn became the fi rst American to orbit the Earth. NASA’s While John F. Kennedy would not live to see his It was a time of stark contrasts. On one hand, it was four manned fl ights had each lasted less than fi ve dream realized, his challenge stimulated the imagi- an era of enormous political and social unrest. On the hours. In fact, NASA had only been established four nations of people from every nation and motivated other, it offered unparalleled scientifi c advancement years earlier. -
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 361 202 SE 053 616 TITLE Beyond
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 361 202 SE 053 616 TITLE Beyond Earth's Boundaries INSTITUTION National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Kennedy Space Center, FL. John F. Kennedy Space Center. PUB DATE 93 NOTE 214p. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Aerospace Education; Astronomy; Earth Science; Elementary Education; Elementary School Science; Elementary School Students; Elementary School Teachers; Physics; Resource Materials; *Science Activities; Science History; *Science Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Space Sciences IDENTIFIERS Astronauts; Space Shuttle; Space Travel ABSTRACT This resource for teachers of elementary age students provides a foundation for building a life-long interest in the U.S. space program. It begins with a basic understanding of man's attempt to conquer the air, then moves on to how we expanded into near-Earth space for our benefit. Students learn, through hands-on experiences, from projects performed within the atmosphere and others simulated in space. Major sections include:(1) Aeronautics,(2) Our Galaxy, (3) Propulsion Systems, and (4) Living in Space. The appendixes include a list of aerospace objectives, K-12; descriptions of spin-off technologies; a list of educational programs offered at the Kennedy Space Center (Florida); and photographs. (PR) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** -
Nasa Johnson Space Center Oral History Project
NASA HEADQUARTERS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT EDITED ORAL HISTORY TRANSCRIPT THOMAS P. STAFFORD INTERVIEWED BY JENNIFER ROSS-NAZZAL HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 23, 2015 ROSS-NAZZAL: Today is April 23, 2015. This interview with General Tom Stafford is being conducted in Houston, Texas, for the NASA Headquarters Oral History Project. The interviewer is Jennifer Ross-Nazzal, assisted by Rebecca Wright. Thanks again for taking some time to meet with us. STAFFORD: My pleasure. ROSS-NAZZAL: We know your schedule is very hectic. I wanted to start by asking if you would talk about the Astronaut Office. If you would describe it for us when you first came here, the camaraderie, maybe the jokes and pranks, the competition between all of you guys, the 16 of you that were here. STAFFORD: It was very small when I arrived. Of course, this goes back when I was a little boy, when I was five or six years old. I grew up in the dust bowl of western Oklahoma, a little town called Weatherford. The main street was old Route 66, now Interstate 40. As a little kid, when I was five or six years old, this was 1936, ’37, I noticed every day during the day two or three giant—what I thought were silver—airplanes would go over. Those were [Douglas] DC-3s, and the first transcontinental air route, American Airlines and TWA [Trans World Airlines]. I’d look 23 April 2015 Johnson Space Center Oral History Project Thomas P. Stafford up and I’d watch that, I’d say, “I want to do that.” I wanted to fly since I was five or six years old, seeing those airplanes. -
Season 1, Ep. 16 Rocket Man FINAL.Pdf
AirSpace Season 1, Episode 16 Rocket Man Nick: Hello, and welcome to airspace from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with help from PRX. Emily: I'm Emily, a planetary geologist. Matt: And I'm Matt a space historian. Nick: And I'm Nick a writer here at the museum. So we are not by trade film critics, but I guess we maybe critic adjacent. Emily: Three non-professional critics should probably make what, one half official critic. Matt: You do know I've published film criticism. Nick: Oh, okay. No, no back up. So it turns out that Matt is officially a film critic. Matt: Yes. Emily: No. He said he's a space historian. That is not the same thing. Matt: All right. I'm not a... you know. Nick: Okay. Well... Matt: It's my side hustle. Nick: Page 1 of 12 Okay. But the point is that there's a big, important new space movie this fall First Man. So it's about Neil Armstrong from roughly the time he was a test pilot for NASA, until he landed on the moon and returned safely to the earth spoilers, by the way, spoilers. Neil Armstrong walks on the moon in the end of the movie [radio: I’m going to step of the LEM now—that’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind], we want to talk about what the movie got right. Emily: And we want to give a little more context about the time, the places, the historic figures that don't really get a full treatment in the film.