News - Lovell, Aldrin Reunited With Spacecraft (Gemini 12)

Lovell, Aldrin Reunited With Spacecraft

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...ory?id=2645040

Astronauts Lovell, Aldrin Reunited With Their Gemini 12 Spacecraft

By TARA BURGHART

CHICAGO Nov 10, 2006 (AP)- The last time Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin
saw their Gemini 12 spacecraft together, it was bobbing in the Atlantic
Ocean following their 1966 mission.

The two astronauts were reunited with the capsule Thursday as part of a
new permanent exhibit called "Shoot for the Moon," at the Adler
Planetarium.

"This was a good bird. It did its job," Lovell said of the capsule,
which has burn marks on its base from its re-entry into the atmosphere,
and a jumble of switches and toggles on its control panel.

Gemini 12 did not land on the moon, although the four-day mission
helped prepare for a lunar landing by demonstrating that an astronaut
could work successfully outside the spacecraft, with Aldrin spending 5
1/2 hours in space.

But Lovell, 78, and Aldrin, 76, both were part of the Apollo program,
which did have lunar landings as its mission. On July 20, 1969, Aldrin
became the second man to walk on the surface of the moon, following
Neil Armstrong.

Lovell was captain of the 1970 mission that was supposed to be the
third lunar landing. But that landing was aborted after an oxygen tank
overheated and exploded. The safe return of the men to Earth was a
result of the ingenuity of the astronauts and the NASA engineers on the
ground.

Years earlier, inside their Gemini module, Lovell and Aldrin hardly had
any room to move.

Accessories occasionally needed during the trip were attached on a long
cord, stored behind the seats. Aldrin remembers it taking him 10
minutes to maneuver to reach them. They also had to struggle in the
small space to put on their pressurized suits when Aldrin went out for
his space walk. He's still amazed at how small the interior of the
spacecraft was.

"It was cramped. There just wasn't much room," he said.

One of the upsides? They were traveling so fast they would orbit the
Earth in about 88 minutes, meaning they saw more than a dozen sunrises
and sunsets a day.

"You never got tired of looking out the window," Lovell said.

The Gemini 12 capsule is on a long-term loan to the Adler from the
National Air and Space Museum.

The exhibit opens Saturday, the 40th anniversary of the beginning of
the mission, and actually encompasses several galleries.

The Gemini 12 spacecraft and a gallery focusing on Lovell's life opened
this summer. Lovell grew up in Milwaukee and visited the Adler as a
child he has donated about 30 personal items to the museum, including
the manual whose cover the Apollo 13 crew ripped off to create a
scrubber to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

The gallery opening Saturday is mostly geared toward getting children
interested in space exploration, informing them of all the possible
associated careers, and inspiring them to take an interest in math and
science.

They can use a joystick to try to gently land a lunar model on a
computer screen, design their own colony on the moon or put on
astronaut helmets and get their photos taken under a newspaper
headline, "Future Moon Astronauts Chosen."

"Shoot for the Moon" is part of an effort to expand the mission of the
Adler Planetarium. Opened in 1930, it traditionally has focused on
astronomy, but it is now broadening its scope, seeking to become a
leading space science center.

Lovell said he believes institutions such as Adler are necessary to
inspire Americans of the great possibilities of space exploration.

Both Lovell and Aldrin said they are encouraged by President Bush's
plan to send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars, but say it
will require years of political will and a dedication to funding.

"I would say that if we ever get behind in this business, it will be
extremely difficult to catch up to some other nation," Aldrin said. "We
have a lead now and we should protect that."

Lovell said fear of possible dangers to astronauts can't hold back
progress.

"We could get 100 percent safety by hauling the shuttle craft back into
the barn and locking the door," he said. "You have to accept the
rewards that you get from it overbalancing the risks that are involved.
People like ourselves gladly accept the risks and hopefully there's a
new direction now, a more aggressive approach to making space flights
more frequent."

On the Net:

Adler Planetarium: http://www.adlerplanetarium.org

"Rusty" wrote in message
oups.com...
Lovell, Aldrin Reunited With Spacecraft

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...ory?id=2645040

Astronauts Lovell, Aldrin Reunited With Their Gemini 12 Spacecraft

Adler Planetarium: http://www.adlerplanetarium.org


I have supported Adler since 1970 and continuous support (both corporate and
individual) since I returned to Illinois and Chicago in 1995. So, I was
invited to this event -- and probably should have attended.

Unfortunately, the Adler Planetarium's development and major contributors
staff had a major falling out with me about 5 months ago -- concerning
additional financial support -- as part of this event.

They turned it down. Who has ever heard of a not-for-profit refusing a
major contribution?
The Adler staff (responsible for major $$ contributions) did not READ my
personal e-mail expressing my desire to make financial commitment.
They were more interested in "let's schedule a some time this week where we
can sit down with you, have some coffee and talk about how we can convince
you to increase you annual contributions to Adler."

About 2 weeks later, an assistant "caught" the major gaff. One letter of
apology -- but we will not direct your contribution to the event
activities -- we would like to use your money for another event (one that we
like and want - BUT no one is contributing $$ for)."

No $$ for them this year, that contribution is going to The University of
Iowa -- for the establishment of a memorial scholarship for James Van
Allen -- at least I know it will go to someone with an interest in science,
astronomy or space physics -- who can read e-mails in English.

g. beat

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 20:25:43 -0600, "w9gb"
wrote:

No $$ for them this year, that contribution is going to The University of
Iowa -- for the establishment of a memorial scholarship for James Van
Allen -- at least I know it will go to someone with an interest in science,
astronomy or space physics -- who can read e-mails in English.

....Hear! Hear! Granted, it might be selfish, but I'd do the same damn
thing. If I'm going to donate my hard-earned cash(*) to a museum or
historical exhibitor, I want that donation to go towards what I want
to see properly preserved, not some lame-assed exhibit I care AbZero
about and/or is really a front for lining the pockets of the museum
curator(s). The sole exception I ever give to this rule is when I
visit the USS Texas. Every time I've been there I've dropped an extra
$10.00 in the donation cube to help out with the restoration efforts.
Every single time I've been there in the past decade, the people
working on that great lady have been kind, polite, enthusiastic, and
more than willing to give that little bit extra in the tourist
experience, and even more so when the weather happens to be cold
enough to turn the ship into a floating freezer unit!

....But I will point one thing out: sometimes financial vanity can
really be a lost cause. Best example is the ISS "exhibit" at Space
Center Disney. Talk about frapping lame!


(*) Which Pat will no doubt claim I earned while hard, the Mick :-P

OM
--
]=====================================[
] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [
] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [
] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [
]=====================================[

Rusty wrote:

Lovell, Aldrin Reunited With Spacecraft

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...ory?id=2645040

Astronauts Lovell, Aldrin Reunited With Their Gemini 12 Spacecraft



You know... you see that scene in Apollo 13 where Jim Lovell imagines
himself on the Moon, and it breaks your heart.
Twice he gets _so_ close, but he never gets to get there.
If they actually do get a new manned Moon program going, this guy
deserves a seat on lander mission # 1.

Pat

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:51:40 -0600, Pat Flannery wrote:

You know... you see that scene in Apollo 13 where Jim Lovell imagines
himself on the Moon, and it breaks your heart.
Twice he gets _so_ close, but he never gets to get there.
If they actually do get a new manned Moon program going, this guy
deserves a seat on lander mission # 1.

I don't suppose he and Buzz climbed into their old Gemini capsule
for a photo op?

Geepers, these guys are all getting up there in years. Or maybe it's
just me...

Dale

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:51:40 -0600, Pat Flannery
wrote:

If they actually do get a new manned Moon program going, this guy
deserves a seat on lander mission # 1.

....By the time they get that lander up there, Lovell will be in his
90's at the least. While you know as well as I do that he'd go in a
heartbeat - and let Buzz punch out anyone standing in the way - NASA
would never let him go for PR reasons.

OM
--
]=====================================[
] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [
] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [
] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [
]=====================================[

"Dale" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:51:40 -0600, Pat Flannery
wrote:

You know... you see that scene in Apollo 13 where Jim Lovell imagines
himself on the Moon, and it breaks your heart.
Twice he gets _so_ close, but he never gets to get there.
If they actually do get a new manned Moon program going, this guy
deserves a seat on lander mission # 1.

I don't suppose he and Buzz climbed into their old Gemini capsule
for a photo op?


There is a color photo (part of the PR) that shows Jim and Buzz with "feet
in" (standing) in their respective seats (hatches open) in the restored
Gemini 12 capsule.

I was standing next to the "then new" NASM Director (retired General John R.
Dailey) -- when Jim Lovell asked if the Gemini 12 capsule (under
restoration) would be shown in the McDonnell space wing of the Udvar-Hazy
Center (largest annex of NASM).

As it has turned out the Gemini 12 capsule is "one loan for the NASM" and
the featured capsule (last one to fly) of the current Adler exhibit "Shoot
for the Moon".
The Apollo 8 capsule is on exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry
(Chicago) -- to remove the capsule (another "on loan" capsule technically)
and would require taking the roof off the Crown addition where it is housed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_...try_in_Chicago

"OM" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 20:25:43 -0600, "w9gb"
wrote:

No $$ for them this year, that contribution is going to The University of
Iowa -- for the establishment of a memorial scholarship for James Van
Allen -- at least I know it will go to someone with an interest in
science,
astronomy or space physics -- who can read e-mails in English.

...Hear! Hear! Granted, it might be selfish, but I'd do the same damn
thing. If I'm going to donate my hard-earned cash(*) to a museum or
historical exhibitor, I want that donation to go towards what I want
to see properly preserved, not some lame-assed exhibit I care AbZero
about and/or is really a front for lining the pockets of the museum
curator(s).

Well, it shows how "political" many of these development staff positions
have become these days.
"Who do you know in money and proper social circles" -- that might give a
few dollars here, etc.

I can forgive a mistake, but the cover-up -
refuse to have the current director step in to rectify and smooth over
situation were AVOIDED --
obviously in an attempt to "save her job".
He will get my end of year letter, but it will not have that "nice monetary
contribution" for their scientific program (named after Alan Shepard).

gb

I went to the event and had long chats with Buzz and Jim, they are such
great people.
Jim Lovell has made major contributions to the Adler.

Dale wrote:
On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:51:40 -0600, Pat Flannery wrote:

You know... you see that scene in Apollo 13 where Jim Lovell imagines
himself on the Moon, and it breaks your heart.
Twice he gets _so_ close, but he never gets to get there.
If they actually do get a new manned Moon program going, this guy
deserves a seat on lander mission # 1.

I don't suppose he and Buzz climbed into their old Gemini capsule
for a photo op?

Geepers, these guys are all getting up there in years. Or maybe it's
just me...

Dale

"Rich Godwin" wrote in message
oups.com...

I went to the event and had long chats with Buzz and Jim, they are such
great people.
Jim Lovell has made major contributions to the Adler.


Rich -

Well, you were wearing many "hats" for that event (Apogee Books, NSS and Ad
Astra reporter for Space.com). Will we see anything in Space.com in the
coming weeks ?

Actually Jim has made a number of contributions to NASM, Museum of Science
and Industry over the years .... and now Adler. Parts of his current
personal collection, some items previously displayed in his son's restaurant
in Lake Forest, is what the Adler received and desired.

When I attended the Chicago dinner for major contributors to the new
Udvar-Hazy annex of the NASM
Center, director John Dailey did inquire about having that personal
collection donated to the NASM - potentially at the Annex. I am happy that
the collection has stayed in Chicago.

Did Tom Hanks or Brian Glazer attend the Thursday event, as they had hoped
in the planning meetings? Adler also had Dava Sobel (a very good writer -
although the typesetter and proof for Longitude was horrible) in this same
time period -- so they had a full schedule for the past few weeks.
http://www.davasobel.com/

Greg