Gemini 9 retrospective

In June 1966, Gemini 9A with Tom Stafford (commander) and Gene Cernan (pilot) flew on a mission that, in part, was designed to test a radically new and daring type of spacewalk.

Cernan was designated to perform the spacewalk. In this retrospective, the two men recount how NASA wanted Stafford to deal with the consequences if the spacewalk turned out less than favorably.

This 5 minute clip is from a symposium held in San Diego, July 21, 2007. In attendance were Ed Busbee (moderator), Stafford, Cernan and Scott Carpenter.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Gemini
• spacewalk
• astronaut
• Stafford
• Cernan
• Alessi

[ApolloWasReal]

These guys do tell some great stories, don't they?

[curea229]

Good vid, thanks for posting!

[youvebeenthunderstru]

Yeah, those conversations with the conspiracy theorists are much the same.

"We didn't land on the moon, it was faked by NASA."

"...science says otherwise."

"No, you're just too stupid to understand."

"...okay then. Fuck you. Ignorant piece of shit."

[AntisolarPoint]

These guys are heroes. Anyone who said they didn't make it to the moon should be shot. I wish Aldrin's left hook on that shit-head had been fatal. But when will Gene be the last man to walk on the moon?

[Frye666]

Legends! Thank you so much for this!

[ghleopold]

Great story to get on the record. Thanks for posting.

[tuttt99]

I met Mr. Cernan on two occasions. Very nice man.

[TheApolloChannel]

Great Vid & to see how well these great men get on after all those years! And they have admitted back in the day, there was always competition to impress Deke Slayton who chose the Astronaut Crews.

But The fact that Cernan & Stafford flew two missions together, Gemini-9 & to the Moon on Apollo-10 coming within only a few miles of the surface, proves that these men lived thier most proudest, exciting & at times dangerous moments of ther lives together, well who woild be freinds! Legends

[toddsmitts]

Gene's great. One of the more personable astronaut. I've never seen Tom Stafford before though. Interesting.

Gene and Tom weren't supposed to be on Gemini 9. They were the back-ups until the prime crew, Elliot See and Charles Bassett, were killed when their T-38 crashed. Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin, in turn, became Tom and Gene's back-ups and later flew on Gemini 12. This was one of many shake-ups to the crew rotation that led to who would be on the first lunar-landing mission.

[Mainsail76]

Astronaut humor is the best! Great clip!