Jeff Findley wrote:
"Jochem Huhmann" wrote in message
...

But it's funny, everytime I look at Gemini I think that it was a capsule
with great potential, both Apollo and the Shuttle look somewhat
fundamentally wrong and clumsy compared to it. I can perfectly imagine a
Gemini about the size of the Shuttle crew compartment sailing down,
deploying its landing gear and touching down at a runway...


http://www.astronautix.com/craft/bigemini.htm

From above, Big Gemini would have used the same sort of skid landing system
being discussed here. The advanced concept was to have held 12 astronauts.



And then on to Mars:
http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/model...inggemini.html
Where amazingly, you don't even need backpacks to breathe...which makes
one wonder what the helmets are for.


Pat