Looking back on the trajectory leading to Project Apollo and the resulting Moon missions, one can be forgiven for thinking that this was a strict and well-defined plan that was being executed, especially considering the absolute time crunch. The reality is that much of this trajectory was in flux, with the earlier Project Gemini seeing developments towards supplying manned space stations and even its own Moon missions. [Spaceflight Histories] recently examined some of these Advanced Gemini concepts that never came to pass.
In retrospect, some of these seem like an obvious evolution of the program. Given both NASA and the US Air Force’s interest in space stations at the time, the fact that a up-sized “Big Gemini” was proposed as a resupply craft makes sense. Not to be confused with the Gemini B, which was a version of the spacecraft that featured an attached laboratory module. Other concepts, like the paraglider landing feature, were found to be too complex and failure prone.
The circumlunar, lunar landing and Apollo rescue concepts were decidedly more ambitious and included a range of alternatives to the Project Apollo missions, which were anything but certain especially after the Apollo 1 disaster. Although little of Advanced Gemini made it even into a prototype stage, it’s still a fascinating glimpse at an alternate reality.
Huh. Someone else watching KSA’s development and was wondering about the Gemini capsules that they’ve been showing pics of?
Sometimes I think it was a big mistake to take NASA away from the air force… Guess we’ll never know
I love these old stories of human history.
Sputnik (Спутник), Telstar, Gemini, Apollo, Sojúz (Сою́з), Saljút (Салю́т), Skylab, STS, Mir, Mir-2 etc..
Both USSR and US somewhat have had their heyday in 20th century.
I wonder if China, India, Japan or any of the other young space faring nations will from now on shape (define) 21th century.
If they’ve learnt from their forerunners, then their legacy will endure and be remembered.
Very interesting and well done
Looks amazing, but the correct pronunciation for the spacecraft and project is Jemin-eye.
In American English, yes. That’s how US astronauts and NASA/USAF personnel would have pronounced it.
The word itself, however, comes from Greek mythology. And in Greek, it’s not Jemin-eye.
Most Europeans, including Greeks, would probably pronounce it Gemini (or “mimimi” in case of Greeks, acc. to Google Translator).
Or something like that, not sure. But surely never Jemin-eye.
Our “i” is spoken like “ee”, and “e” like “ew”. Generally speaking, I mean.
Europe is not a single country, after all and I don’t know all the dialects and languages.
UK/GB by contrast, might be different. They’re special.
They sometimes speak “tomato” and “have” with a soft “a”.
Not sure if they say Gemini the Latin way or as Jemin-eye.
I wish I had been alive for the moon landings. I just don’t get why the population does not want to do great things anymore.