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Gemini 8 reentry



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 21st 03, 03:23 PM
Jan Philips
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Default Gemini 8 reentry

It is well-known that Gemini 8 fired their retros to get control of
the spacecraft, and then reentered. Was there only one firing that
got control of the ship, or was there a second one that actually
brought it down? If there were two, approximately how much time
elapsed in between?

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/...mini-viii.html

" The crew regained control of their spacecraft by using the reentry
control system, which prompted an early landing in a secondary landing
area in the Pacific. "


  #2  
Old August 21st 03, 03:44 PM
Andre Lieven
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Default Gemini 8 reentry

Jan Philips ) writes:
It is well-known that Gemini 8 fired their retros to get control of
the spacecraft, and then reentered. Was there only one firing that
got control of the ship, or was there a second one that actually
brought it down? If there were two, approximately how much time
elapsed in between?

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/...mini-viii.html

" The crew regained control of their spacecraft by using the reentry
control system, which prompted an early landing in a secondary landing
area in the Pacific. "


Note that the Reentry *Control* System is not limited to the four
retros. It also includes other hardware and software, including
thrusters that Armstrong used to get out of the spin that the
on orbit thrusters' ( A different system ) malfunction had put
them into.

Mission rules stated that the first use of the Renetry Control System
mandated a near immediate return to Earth. Which they then did.

Andre


--
" I'm a man... But, I can change... If I have to... I guess. "
The Man Prayer, Red Green.
  #5  
Old August 21st 03, 05:12 PM
Henry Spencer
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Default Gemini 8 reentry

In article ,
Jan Philips wrote:
It is well-known that Gemini 8 fired their retros to get control of
the spacecraft, and then reentered.


Not precisely. They fired the reentry *RCS* system to get control back.
That was a secondary RCS system used for attitude control during retrofire
and reentry; it had no relation to the retrorockets themselves (which were
one-shot solid-fuel rockets). The main Gemini RCS system was in a section
of the spacecraft that was jettisoned before retrofire, hence the need for
a separate system.

The immediate reentry was due to mission rules: using the reentry RCS
system meant breaking its valve seals, after which any valve leakage could
endanger the RCS fuel supply needed for control during retrofire, so
mission rules said that when the reentry RCS was used, retrofire and
reentry must follow as soon as reasonably possible (i.e., before anything
else went wrong).

I don't seem to have exact times, but I think they did wait an hour or
two before retrofire, which allowed proper preparations and the use of a
predesignated abort site which had a recovery ship handy. This wasn't a
"land at once, no matter where" emergency.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |
 




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