Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

Exploring the Unknown 377
Preeminence in this field is an important instrument in international relations
and vitally influences this country’s dealings with other nations involving peace
and freedom in the world. Political realities which can neither be wished away
nor ignored make the capability to explore space a matter of strategic importance
as well as a challenge to the scientific and engineering ingenuity of man. This
Nation can no more afford to falter in space than it can in any earthly pursuit on
which the security and future of the Nation and the world depend.
The space effort is really a research and development competition,
a competition for technological preeminence which demands and creates the
quest for excellence.
The Mercury program, which laid the groundwork for Gemini and the
rest of this Nation’s manned space-flight activity, appears at this point relatively
modest. However, Mercury accomplishments at the time were as significant to
national objectives as the Gemini accomplishments are today as those that are
planned for Apollo in the years ahead.
That these programs have been, and will be, conducted in complete
openness with an international, real-time audience makes them all the more
effective. In this environment, the degree of perfection achieved is even more
meaningful. Each person involved can take richly deserved pride in what has
been accomplished. Using past experience as a foundation, the exploration of
space must continue to advance. The American public will not permit otherwise,
or better yet, history will not permit otherwise.
[pp. 4-328 not included]
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22. GEMINI RESULTS AS RELATED TO THE APOLLO PROGRAM
By Willis B. Mitchell, Manager, Office of Vehicles and Missions, Gemini Program
Office, NASA Manned Spacecraft Center; Owen E. Maynard, Chief, Mission
Operations Division, Apollo Spacecraft Program Office, NASA Manned Spacecraft
Center; and Donald D. Arabian, Office of Vehicles and Missions, Gemini Program
Office, NASA Manned Spacecraft Center
Introduction
The Gemini Program was conceived to provide a space system that could
furnish answers to many of the problems in operating manned vehicles in space.
It was designed to build upon the experience gained from Project Mercury, and
to extend and expand this fund of experience in support of the manned lunar
landing program and other future manned space-flight programs. The purpose
of this paper is to relate some of the results of the Gemini Program to the Apollo
Program, and to discuss some of the contributions which have been made.
The objectives of the Gemini Program applicable to Apollo are: (1) longduration
flight, (2) rendezvous and docking, (3) post-docking maneuver capability,