NOTICE THE NASA/MCDONNELL Gemini Press Reference Book has been entirely reprinted for the flight of Geminl Eleven. Please remove all pages from your Gemini Press Reference Book cover and replace with the copy dated 30 August 1966. PRESS REFERENCE BOOK GEMINI SPACECRAFT NUMBER ELEVEN Prepared by the External Relations Division McDonnell Aircraft Corporation Project Gemini, the second phase of the U.S. manned space flight program, was created to provide experience in orbital maneuvers, rendezvous and docking, and long duration space flight, and for manned scientific investigations in space. Under the direction of the Office of Manned Space Flight, NASA Headquarters, Wash- ington, and managed by the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, the Gemini program is a national space effort supported by the Department of Defense in such areas as launch vehicle de- velopment, launch operations, tracking, and recovery.GEMINI XI Dac 31378 The Gemini XI mission is planned as a rendezvous and docking mission with an unmanned Agena target. It will also include extravehicular exercises by the pilot. The Gemini X target is scheduled to be launched about 1% hours before the launch of the Gemini Spacecraft. Rendezvous is to be attempted in the first revolution. After docking with the Agena, it is planned to use the primary propulsion system of the Agena to push the combination into a high altitude orbit with an apogee of 865 miles. It is also planned to have the EVA astronaut attach a 100 foot line to the Agena. After his return to the space- craft, maximum separation will be achieved, establishing a gravity gradient to determine the usefulness of such a technique as a fuel saving procedure when it is desirable to stay in close proximity with another spacecraft for a long period of time. An extensive experiment schedule includes retrieval of a film from an experiment in the Gemini adapter section, and operation of a mini- mum-reaction power tool. The primary crew consists of Charles Conrad, Jr., command pilot, and Richard F. Gordon, Jr. The back-up crew is Neil A. Armstrong, command pilot, and William A. Anders, Pilot.REVISION 30 AUGUST 1966 GEMINI SPACECRAFT STRUCTURAL DESCRIPTION ‘The Gemini Spacecraft is a conical structure nearly 19 feet (5.80 meters) high, 10 feet (3.05 meters) in diameter at its base and weighing 8360 pounds (3792 kilograms) at launch. The spacecraft is designed to endure the aerodynamic pressures, temperature loading, vibra- tion and acoustical noise of launch; the tempera- ture and vacuum of orbital flight; and the extreme heat of reentry, and the impact forces of water landing while providing life support for two astro- nauts and the necessary equipment for planned missions and experiments. Gemini’s design reflects the knowledge ob- tained from the development, manufacture and flight operation of the Mercury Spacecraft which, like Gemini, was produced for NASA by McDon- nell Aircraft Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri, Gemini is launched by an Air Force Titan II launch vehicle built by the Martin Company. The spacecraft consists of two major parts, a reentry module and an adapter module. The re- entry module is designed to withstand the extreme heat of reentry. The dark color of the reentry module is characteristic of paints and coatings used to provide heat protection. The white exterior r RENDEZVOUS AND RECOVERY SECTION REENTRY MODULE REENTRY SONICAL CONTROL, section SYETEM SECTION RETROGRADE ADAPTER SECTION MODULE EQUIPMENT SECTION Gemini Spacecraft of the adapter module provides for maximum re- lease of the heat brought to the metal surface by the spacecraft coolant lines. Its side walls are pro- tected by heat resistant shingles and the large bullkhead by an ablative heat shield. The spacecraft is primarily “skin-stringer” construction. Ring stabilized stringers carry nearly all axial loads. Structural materials and construc- tion methods exhibit the influence of Gemini en- gineers’ search for optimum strength-to-weight ratios. Titanium and magnesium are the principal metals used. DAB 405765, Gemini Spacecraft REENTRY MODULE ‘The reentry module (the dark portion of the spacecraft) has three primary sections: rendezvous MCDONNELL