The history of early space exploration.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Space Rocket History #48 – Gemini Design – 1961
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
“The main trouble with the Mercury capsule was that most system components were in the pilot’s cabin; and often, to pack them in this very confined space, they had to be stacked like a layer cake and components of one system had to be scattered about the craft to use all available space. This arrangement generated a maze of interconnecting wires, tubing, and mechanical linkages. To replace one malfunctioning system, other systems had to be disturbed; and then, after the trouble had been corrected, the systems that had been disturbed as well as the malfunctioning system had to be checked out again.” James Chamberlin
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Space Rocket History #47 – Gemini Concepts
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
This brings us to Project Gemini. Gemini started after Apollo had begun, in part to answer a crucial question for Apollo. Was rendezvous and docking in orbit a feasible basis for a manned lunar landing mission?
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Space Rocket History #46 – Mariner 4
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Mariner 4’s primary objective was to conduct closeup scientific observations of Mars and to transmit these observations to Earth. Additional goals included performing field and particle measurements in interplanetary space, and providing experience and knowledge of engineering capabilities for interplanetary flights of long duration…
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
From the Control center Yuri Gagarin’s kept the crew informed on everything taking place on the now deserted launching site. Finally the command was given: “Stand by!” Now, It would be a matter or minutes before the launch. Commands followed in quick succession. The flight recorder was switched on, the engines started up. There was not much noise at first. But, after the command “Main Engine” the noise and the vibration grew stronger. The final command came at 07:30 UT “Start!”
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Tuesday Feb 06, 2018
Premiere Khrushchev was not willing to wait until Soyuz for another space first. Khrushchev believed, There could be no final victories in the race for space propaganda. He knew the US was working on project Gemini which would carry two astronauts in 1965. So, as a means to upstage the US, Khrushchev ordered Chief Designer Korolev to fit three cosmonauts into the Voskhod spacecraft that was designed for two…