Gemini 9 | Agena Rendevous In Orbit

Gemini 9A launched on June 3, 1966 with Command Pilot Tom Stafford & Co Pilot Gene Cernan.

They performed a rendezvous & docking with an unmanned Agena Target Vehicle & Cernan performed a 2hr EVA or 'Space Walk' which turned to near disaster when Cernan's visor fogged up completely, denying him any vision. becuase his space suit had become over heated making it very difficut to work.

His pulse soared to about 195 beats per minute. The flight surgeon on the ground feared he would lose consciousness. If this happened Stafford was ordered to cut Cernan loose in orbit because if he attempted re-entry with the astronaut still attached by his umbilical - which in and of itself would mean risking Cernan's body pulling the spacecraft off-course during reentry, or entangling with the parachute prior to splashdown.

Amazingly Cernan made his way to back of the space craft to obtain the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU) & return to the hatch were stafford helped him In by holding his feet down.
The two Astronauts returned to earth in one piece.

Gene Cernan later flew twice to Moon, first on a Lunar orbital mission Apollo 10 In 1969 & second on Apollo 17 In 1972 where he became the last man to walk on the Moon.

Thomas Stafford flew again with Cernan on Apollo 10 & on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project In 1975.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• NASA
• Gemini9A
• Astronaut
• Gene
• Cernan
• Tom
• Stafford
• Titan-II
• Space
• Craft
• Flight
• Orbit
• Agena
• Target
• Vehicle
• EVA
• AMU
• space

[meterr]

The Angry Alligator!

[dethaduj]

Nice. I like the music-video quality of this.

[soberek]

I always pictured a nightmare with Gene Cernan trying to loose the shroud, and the alligator eating him, 'Jaws' style.

[eromadrol]

Please post again this video WITHOUT THE MUSIC !

[701shep]

i think if you put a satalight in space when you no longer need it you should have to bring it back to earth

the yanks and the russians have made that much junk in space it wont in the futrue be possible to go in to space

[matrix49A]

@meterr You know your history

[zorbazig]

why that stupid music ???

[tsns1]

@FantasticBob7000 ; F.B. LOL, see ya in the air!

[FantasticBob7000]

Yeah they took a big risk letting him continue the EVA, he was lucky to make it back in ok. But I don't think this had any impact on him being allowed to go to the moon later.

He gave a talk at my workplace a couple of years ago, he seems like a great guy. Told the story of how he told off Chuck Yeager after a couple of beers :-)

One of the more balanced astronauts I'd say.

[tsns1]

@FantasticBob7000; All the more reason to stay "Attached" & pulled back in. Guess they only packed 1 Suit..

[FantasticBob7000]

@tsns1 Cernan's high heart rate was only high during the Gemini mission due to overexertion, it didn't affect his heart rate the rest of the time. He was very fit physically, which is why he was picked for the Gemini space walk. Much like Ed white who almost got selected as an Olympic athlete.

[tsns1]

Wooow on the Discription, -Cut Cernan loose? This flight surgeon is responsable for letting Cernan proceed w/ an Accelerating Pulse, & Cernan still had tickets for a moon walk?