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Mariner 1 Launch
title Mariner 1 Launch
date 07.22.1962
description An Atlas-Agena 5 carrying the Mariner 1 spacecraft lifts off from the Cape Kennedy Launch Complex on a mission to Venus. The rocket went off course and was blown up by a range safety officer about 5 minutes into flight. One month later, Mariner 2's launch was successful and it became the first spacecraft to fly past Venus in December 1962. *Image Credit*: NASA
Mariner 2
title Mariner 2
description Mariner 2 was the world's first successful interplanetary spacecraft. Launched August 27, 1962, on an Atlas-Agena rocket, Mariner 2 passed within about 34,000 kilometers (21,000 miles) of Venus, sending back valuable new information about interplanetary space and the Venusian atmosphere. Mariner 2 recorded the temperature at Venus for the first time, revealing the planet's very hot atmosphere of about 500 degrees Celsius (900 degrees Fahrenheit). The spacecraft's solar wind experiment measured for the first time the density, velocity, composition and variation over time of the solar wind. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL
Mariner 1 Launch
Title Mariner 1 Launch
Full Description An Atlas-Agena 5 carrying the Mariner 1 spacecraft lifted off today from Cape Kennedy Launch Complex 12. The Mariner spacecraft is scheduled to orbit Venus.
Date 7/22/1962
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Agena Firing
Title Agena Firing
Full Description The Gemini 10 spacecraft is successfully docked with the Agena Target Vehicle. The Agena display panel is clearly visible as is glow from Agena's primary propulsion system.
Date 07/18/1966
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Aldrin Performs EVA
Title Aldrin Performs EVA
Full Description Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., pilot of the Gemini 12 spacecraft performs extravehicular activity (EVA) during the second day of the four day mission in space. Aldrin is positioned next to the Agena work station.
Date 11/12/1966
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Nimbus-A, Weather Satellite
Title Nimbus-A, Weather Satellite
Full Description Nimbus-A, an advanced meteorological satellite, was launched August 28, 1964, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on a Thor-Agena B launch vehicle. The satellite was designed in two sections. The lower circular ring housed the meteorological sensors and electronics. The upper hexagonal section contained the altitude control system and had two solar panels with 10,500 individual panels on each side. Nimbus-A weighed 830 lbs. and was comprised of 40,000 components. The satellite was built by General Electric Company and remained operational until September 23, 1964.
Date 8/9/1964
NASA Center Headquarters
Artist's Concept of Seasat-A
Title Artist's Concept of Seasat-A
Full Description An artist's concept of Seasat A, the first spacecraft dedicated for oceanographic studies. Seasat A was designed for monitoring the Earth's oceans with active microwave instruments. The scientific objectives were to collect data on sea-surface winds, oceanography, sea-surface temperatures, wave heights, wavelength and direction, atmospheric water, and sea ice features. Seasat-A was launched on June 16, 1978, on an Atlas-Agena launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The mission ended after 116 days due to a failure of the spacecraft's electric power system. The mission demonstrated the feasibility of using microwave sensors to monitor ocean conditions, and laid the groundwork for future ocean missions. The science of oceanography began more than 100 years ago with the sailing of HMS Challenger. Challenger's round-the- world trip became the model for oceanographic voyages.
Date 5/16/1978
NASA Center Headquarters
Atlas Agena Launch
Title Atlas Agena Launch
Full Description Atlas Agena target vehicle liftoff for Gemini 11 from Pad 14. Once the Agena was in orbit, Gemini 11 rendezvoused and docked with it.
Date 9/12/1966
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Profile of Agena Docking Tar …
Title Profile of Agena Docking Target
Full Description A profile view of the Agena Docking Target Vehicle as seen from the Gemini 8 spacecraft during rendezvous in space.
Date 03/16/1966
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Gemini 10 launch time exposu …
Title Gemini 10 launch time exposure
Full Description A time-exposure photograph shows the configuration of Pad 19 up until the launch of Gemini 10. Onboard the spacecraft are John W. Young and Michael Collins. The two astronauts would spend almost three days practicing docking with the Agena target vehicle and conducting a number of experiments.
Date 07/18/1966
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Gemini 11 maintenance
Title Gemini 11 maintenance
Full Description The Gemini 11 spacecraft is lowered onto a dolly for preflight maintenance before stacking on the Titan rocket at the Kennedy Space Center. Dick Gordon and Pete Conrad would liftoff in this spacecraft on September 12, 1966 for a mission lasting almost three days. The crew practiced docking with the Agena unmanned docking craft, and Gordon also performed two spacewalks during the mission.
Date 07/21/1966
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Gemini with Agena on Earth
Title Gemini with Agena on Earth
Full Description Gemini 6 spacecraft (right) and Agena Target Vehicle (left) on the Boresight Range Tower for at the Kennedy Space Center to test the two spacecrafts? docking capability. Agena was designed to launch separately from Gemini and act as a target for astronauts in a Gemini spacecraft to rendezvous with. Gemini 6 was slated to be the first mission to dock with Agena, but a malfunction with the unmanned target resulted in new objectives for Gemini 6 calling for a one day rendezvous with Gemini 7 in December, 1965.
Date 1965
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Gemini-Titan 11 Launch
Title Gemini-Titan 11 Launch
Full Description Lift-off of Gemini-Titan 11 (GT-11) on Complex 19. The Gemini 11 mission included a rendezvous with an Agena target vehicle.
Date 9/12/1966
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
The First Docking in Space
Title The First Docking in Space
Full Description The Agena Target Vehicle as seen from the Gemini 8 spacecraft during rendezvous. This was the first time two spacecraft successfully docked, which was a critical milestone if a mission to the Moon was to become a reality.
Date 03/16/1966
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Atlas-Agena
Name of Image Atlas-Agena
Date of Image 1962-04-23
Full Description The Atlas-Agena-4 boosted the Ranger IV spacecraft for the first U.S. lunar impact on April 23, 1962.
Thorad-Agena Launch vehicle
Name of Image Thorad-Agena Launch vehicle
Date of Image 1970-02-04
Full Description The Thorad-Agena launch vehicle with the SERT-2 (Space Electric Rocket Test-2) spacecraft on launch pad at the Western Test Range in California. The SERT-2 was launched on February 4, 1970 and tested the capability of an electric ion thruster system.
Thor-Agena
Name of Image Thor-Agena
Date of Image 1969-04-13
Full Description The Thor-Agena-10 launched the Nimbus III, Earth observation and meteorology satellite, on April 13, 1969.
Titan, Gemini 12, liftoff
Name of Image Titan, Gemini 12, liftoff
Date of Image 1966-11-11
Full Description The Gemini 12 astronauts James Lovell and Edwin Aldrin lifted off aboard a Titan launch vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center on November 11, 1966. an hour and a half after their Agena target vehicle was orbited by an Atlas rocket. The Gemini Program was an intermediate step between Project Mercury and the Apollo Program. The major objectives were to subject are two men and supporting equipment to long duration flights, to effect rendezvous and docking with other orbiting vehicle, and to perfect methods of reentry, and landing the spacecraft.
Atlas Agena Launch
Name of Image Atlas Agena Launch
Date of Image 1966-03-16
Full Description On March 16, 1966, an Atlas booster launched an Agena Target Vehicle for the Gemini 8 mission. The flight crew for the 3 day mission, astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and David R. Scott, achieved the first rendezvous and docking to Atlas/Agena in Earth orbit.
Gemini 8 Launched by Titan B …
Name of Image Gemini 8 Launched by Titan Booster
Date of Image 1966-03-16
Full Description A Titan booster launched the Gemini 8 spacecraft on March 16, 1966 from launch complex 19 Cape Kennedy, Florida. The flight crew for the 3 day mission, astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and David R. Scott, achieved the first rendezvous and docking to Atlas/Agena in Earth orbit.
Atlas-Agena, Gemini 12, laun …
Name of Image Atlas-Agena, Gemini 12, launch
Date of Image 1966-11-11
Full Description The launch of an Atlas-Agena booster carrying the target vehicle for the Gemini 12 mission on November 11, 1966. The Gemini Program was the intermediate step between the Project Mercury and the Apollo Program. Major objectives of the Gemini Program were to subject two men and supporting equipment to long duration flights, and to effect rendezvous and docking with other orbiting vehicles.
Dr. von Braun Inspecting Gem …
Name of Image Dr. von Braun Inspecting Gemini-Agena Docking Simulator
Date of Image 1964-10-14
Full Description This is a photograph that was made on October 14, 1964 of Dr. von Braun while he toured the Marned Spacecraft Center, now the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He is shown inspecting a Gemini-Agena Docking Simulator.
Official Portrait of Astrona …
Name of Image Official Portrait of Astronaut Michael Collins
Date of Image 1967-01-09
Full Description This is the official NASA portrait of astronaut Michael Collins. Collins chose an Air Force career following graduation from West Point. He served as an experimental flight test officer at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, and, in that capacity, tested performance and stability and control characteristics of Air Force aircraft, primarily jet fighters. Having logged approximately 5,000 hours flying time, Collins was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. Collins completed two space flights, logging 266 hours in space, of which, 1 hour and 27 minutes was spent in Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). On July 18, 1966, he served as backup pilot for the Gemini VII mission which included a successful rendezvous and docking with a separately launched Agena target vehicle and, using the power of the Agena, maneuvered the Gemini spacecraft into another orbit for a rendezvous with a second, passive Agena. His skillful performance in completing two periods of EVA included the recovery of a micrometeorite detection experiment from the passive Agena. July 16-24, 1969, Collins served as command module (CM) pilot on Apollo 11, the historic first lunar landing mission. He remained aboard the CM, Columbia, on station in lunar orbit and performed the final re-docking maneuvers following a successful lunar orbit rendezvous with the Lunar Module (LM), Eagle. Collins left NASA in January 1970.
Atlas/Agena, Mariner-V, laun …
Name of Image Atlas/Agena, Mariner-V, launch
Date of Image 1967-06-14
Full Description The Atlas/Agena launch vehicle carrying The Mariner-V spacecraft on launch pad on June 14, 1967. The Marina V mission was to explore the planet Venus.
Early Rocketry Models
Name of Image Early Rocketry Models
Date of Image 1967-10-18
Full Description Photographed are models of early rocketry: The Atlas Mercury, Atlas Centaur, and Atlas Agena.
1/10 SCALE AGENA MARINER C D …
Title 1/10 SCALE AGENA MARINER C DYNAMIC PRESSURE MODEL
Description 1/10 SCALE AGENA MARINER C DYNAMIC PRESSURE MODEL
Date 03.18.1964
Alan Shepard in the Rendezvo …
Title Alan Shepard in the Rendezvous Docking Simulator
Description Astronaut Alan Shepard (right) was one of 14 astronauts, 8 NASA test pilots, and 2 McDonnell test pilots who took part in simulator studies. Shepard flew the simulator on November 14, 1963. A.W. Vogeley wrote: "Many of the astronauts have flown this simulator in support of the Gemini studies and they, without exception, appreciated the realism of the visual scene. The simulator has also been used in the development of pilot techniques to handle certain jet malfunctions in order that aborts could be avoided. In these situations large attitude changes are sometimes necessary and the false motion cues that were generated due to earth gravity were somewhat objectionable, however, the pilots were readily able to overlook these false motion cues in favor of the visual realism." Roy F. Brissenden noted that: "The basic Gemini control studies developed the necessary techniques and demonstrated the ability of human pilots to perform final space docking with the specified Gemini-Agena systems using only visual references. ... Results... showed that trained astronauts can effect the docking with direct acceleration control and even with jet malfunctions as long as good visual conditions exist.... Probably more important than data results was the early confidence that the astronauts themselves gained in their ability to perform the maneuver in the ultimate flight mission." Shepard commented: "I had the feeling tonight - a couple of times - that I was actually doing the space mission instead of the simulation. As I said before, I think it is a very good simulation." Shepard also commented on piloting techniques. Most astronauts arrived at this same preferred technique: Shepard: "I believe I have developed the preferred technique for these conditions and the technique appeared to me to be best was to come in slightly above the target so that I was able to use the longitudinal marks on the body of the target as a reference, particularly for a lateral translation and, of course, I used the foreshortening effect for a vertical translation, and this appeared to give me the best results. By that I mean the least number of control motions and the lowest fuel usage and the best end techniques, or the best end conditions, I should say." Engineer: "When you started to run you didn't start thrusting immediately I don't believe. It looked like you started working on your attitudes, then started closing in." Shepard: "That is correct. I did that because I felt that I wanted to get the X-axis translation in the most effective vector and for minimum fuel usage that wouldn't introduce any other lateral or vertical offsets that did not already exist.
Date 11.19.1963
Apollo
Title Apollo
Description An early lunar excursion model was designed on a Friday afternoon in early 1961 by John D. Bird and Ralph W. Stone, Jr., of Langley Research Center for project. Courtney G. Brooks, James M. Grimwood, and Loyd S. Swenson, Jr. wrote in Chariots For Apollo: A History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft: "From December 1960 to the summer of 1961, Langley continued its analyses of lunar-orbit rendezvous as it applied to a manned lunar landing. Bird and Stone among others, studied hardware concepts and procedures, ascent trajectories between the landing site and lunar orbit, and final rendezvous and docking maneuvers. Their findings were distributed in technical reports throughout NASA and in papers presented to professional organizations and space flight societies. In the spring of 1961, these Langley engineers compiled a paper proposing a three-phase plan for developing rendezvous capabilities that would ultimately lead to manned lunar landings: (1) MORAD (Manned Orbital Rendezvous and docking), using a Mercury capsule to prove the feasibility of manned rendezvous and to establish confidence in the techniques, (2) ARP (Apollo Rendezvous Phase), using Atlas, Agena, and Saturn vehicles to develop a variety of rendezvous capabilities in earth orbit, and (3) MALLIR (Manned Lunar Landing Involving Rendezvous), employing Saturn and Apollo components to place men on the moon." (p. 69)
Date 10.04.1961
Apollo Project
Title Apollo Project
Description Agena Docking Simulator Target.
Date 04.22.1964
Multiple exposure of Rendezv …
Title Multiple exposure of Rendezvous Docking Simulator
Description Multiple exposure of Rendezvous Docking Simulator. Francis B. Smith, described the simmulator as follows: "The rendezvous and docking operation of the Gemini spacecraft with the Agena and of the Apollo Command Module with the Lunar Excursion Module have been the subject of simulator studies for several years. [This figure] illustrates the Gemini-Agena rendezvous docking simulator at Langley. The Gemini spacecraft was supported in a gimbal system by an overhead crane and gantry arrangement which provided 6 degrees of freedom - roll, pitch, yaw, and translation in any direction - all controllable by the astronaut in the spacecraft. Here again the controls fed into a computer which in turn provided an input to the servos driving the spacecraft so that it responded to control motions in a manner which accurately simulated the Gemini spacecraft.
Date 02.07.1964
DRAFTSMEN AT WORK WITH MODEL …
Title DRAFTSMEN AT WORK WITH MODEL OF THOR AGENA MISSILE ON BOARD
Description DRAFTSMEN AT WORK WITH MODEL OF THOR AGENA MISSILE ON BOARD
Date 03.29.1965
Space Station - early concep …
Title Space Station - early concept
Description Models of proposed space station launch vehicles (l-r): Saturn TB, Titan II Gemini, Atlas Agena.
Date 04.19.1963
ECHO Project
Title ECHO Project
Description Pageos Group at the launch from the Pacific Missile Range in June 1966. Pageos 1 was launched with a Thor-Agena rocket.
Date 09.08.1966
Gemini
Title Gemini
Description Rear view of rendezvous docking simulator. Francis B. Smith wrote: "The rendezvous and docking operation of the Gemini spacecraft with the Agena and of the Apollo Command Module with the Lunar Excursion Module have been the subject of simulator studies for several years. [This figure] illustrates the Gemini-Agena rendezvous docking simulator at Langley. The Gemini spacecraft was supported in a gimbal system by an overhead crane and gantry arrangement which provided 6 degrees of freedom - roll, pitch, yaw, and translation in any direction - all controllable by the astronaut in the spacecraft. Here again the controls fed into a computer which in turn provided an input to the servos driving the spacecraft so that it responded to control motions in a manner which accurately simulated the Gemini spacecraft.
Date 01.10.1964
Gemini
Title Gemini
Description Astronaut Neil Armstrong (left) was one of 14 astronauts, 8 NASA test pilots, and 2 McDonnell test pilots who took part in simulator studies. Armstrong was the first astronaut to participate (November 6, 1963). A.W. Vogeley described the simulator in his paper "Discussion of Existing and Planned Simulators For Space Research,""Many of the astronauts have flown this simulator in support of the Gemini studies and they, without exception, appreciated the realism of the visual scene. The simulator has also been used in the development of pilot techniques to handle certain jet malfunctions in order that aborts could be avoided. In these situations large attitude changes are sometimes necessary and the false motion cues that were generated due to earth gravity were somewhat objectionable, however, the pilots were readily able to overlook these false motion cues in favor of the visual realism." Roy F. Brissenden, noted in his paper "Initial Operations with Langley's Rendezvous Docking Facility,""The basic Gemini control studies developed the necessary techniques and demonstrated the ability of human pilots to perform final space docking with the specified Gemini-Agena systems using only visual references. ... Results... showed that trained astronauts can effect the docking with direct acceleration control and even with jet malfunctions as long as good visual conditions exist.... Probably more important than data results was the early confidence that the astronauts themselves gained in their ability to perform the maneuver in the ultimate flight mission." Francis B. Smith, noted in his paper "Simulators for Manned Space Research,""Some major areas of interest in these flights were fuel requirements, docking accuracies, the development of visual aids to assist alignment of the vehicles, and investigation of alternate control techniques with partial failure modes. However, the familiarization and confidence developed by the astronaut through flying and safely docking the simulator during these tests was one of the major contributions. For example, it was found that fuel used in docking from 200 feet typically dropped from about 20 pounds to 7 pounds after an astronaut had made a few training flights.
Date 11.01.1963
Gemini
Title Gemini
Description Gemini Rendezvous Docking Simulator suspended from the roof of the Langley Research Center's aircraft hanger closing in on its Agena target. Francis B. Smith wrote in his paper "Simulators for Manned Space Research,""The rendezvous and docking operation of the Gemini spacecraft with the Agena and of the Apollo Command Module with the Lunar Excursion Module have been the subject of simulator studies for several years. [This figure] illustrates the Gemini-Agena rendezvous docking simulator at Langley. The Gemini spacecraft was supported in a gimbal system by an overhead crane and gantry arrangement which provided 6 degrees of freedom - roll, pitch, yaw, and translation in any direction - all controllable by the astronaut in the spacecraft. Here again the controls fed into a computer which in turn provided an input to the servos driving the spacecraft so that it responded to control motions in a manner which accurately simulated the Gemini spacecraft." This is a photograph of "the Gemini spacecraft approaching the Agena target in a final docking maneuver.
Date 10.23.1963
Gemini - John W. Young in Re …
Title Gemini - John W. Young in Rendezvous Docking Simulator
Description Astronaut John Young (above) was one of 14 astronauts, 8 NASA test pilots, and 2 McDonnell test pilots who took part in simulator studies. Young piloted the simulator on November 12, 1963 Arthur Vogeley wrote: "Many of the astronauts have flown this simulator in support of the Gemini studies and they, without exception, appreciated the realism of the visual scene. The simulator has also been used in the development of pilot techniques to handle certain jet malfunctions in order that aborts could be avoided. In these situations large attitude changes are sometimes necessary and the false motion cues that were generated due to earth gravity were somewhat objectionable, however, the pilots were readily able to overlook these false motion cues in favor of the visual realism." Roy F. Brissenden wrote:"The basic Gemini control studies developed the necessary techniques and demonstrated the ability of human pilots to perform final space docking with the specified Gemini-Agena systems using only visual references. ... Results... showed that trained astronauts can effect the docking with direct acceleration control and even with jet malfunctions as long as good visual conditions exist.... Probably more important than data results was the early confidence that the astronauts themselves gained in their ability to perform the maneuver in the ultimate flight mission.
Date 11.19.1963
Gemini 11 Commander Conrad a …
Title Gemini 11 Commander Conrad and Pilot Gordon at post flight press conference
Description Gemini 11 Commander Charles Conrad, Jr (left) and Pilot Richard F. Gordon, Jr describe mission activities during their post flight press conference at JSC. Gordon at the microphone talks about the extravehicular activity (EVA) photo projected behind the two crewmembers. During the EVA Gordon attached a tether to the Agena and retrieved a nuclear emulsion experiment package.
Date 09.26.1966
Gemini Rendezvous Docking Si …
Title Gemini Rendezvous Docking Simulator
Description Gemini Rendezvous Docking Simulator suspended from the roof of the Langley Research Center's aircraft hanger. Francis B. Smith wrote: "The rendezvous and docking operation of the Gemini spacecraft with the Agena and of the Apollo Command Module with the Lunar Excursion Module have been the subject of simulator studies for several years. [This figure] illustrates the Gemini-Agena rendezvous docking simulator at Langley. The Gemini spacecraft was supported in a gimbal system by an overhead crane and gantry arrangement which provided 6 degrees of freedom - roll, pitch, yaw, and translation in any direction - all controllable by the astronaut in the spacecraft. Here again the controls fed into a computer which in turn provided an input to the servos driving the spacecraft so that it responded to control motions in a manner which accurately simulated the Gemini spacecraft.
Date 05.07.1964
Mariner 2
PIA04594
Title Mariner 2
Original Caption Released with Image Mariner 2 was the world's first successful interplanetary spacecraft. Launched August 27, 1962, on an Atlas-Agena rocket, Mariner 2 passed within about 34,000 kilometers (21,000 miles) of Venus, sending back valuable new information about interplanetary space and the Venusian atmosphere. Mariner 2 recorded the temperature at Venus for the first time, revealing the planet's very hot atmosphere of about 500 degrees Celsius (900 degrees Fahrenheit). The spacecraft's solar wind experiment measured for the first time the density, velocity, composition and variation over time of the solar wind.
1/10 SCALE AGENA MARINER C D …
Title 1/10 SCALE AGENA MARINER C DYNAMIC PRESSURE MODEL
1/10 SCALE AGENA LUNAR ORBIT …
Title 1/10 SCALE AGENA LUNAR ORBITER IN THE 10X10 FOOT WIND TUNNEL
1/10 SCALE AGENA LUNAR ORBIT …
Title 1/10 SCALE AGENA LUNAR ORBITER IN THE 10X10 FOOT WIND TUNNEL
RICHARD DILLON PROJECT ENGIN …
Title RICHARD DILLON PROJECT ENGINEER FOR AGENA POLAR ORBITING GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY POGO LAUNCH AND DR R GRAY OF NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AT WTR WITH VEHICLE IN BACKGROUND
DRAFTSMEN AT WORK WITH MODEL …
Title DRAFTSMEN AT WORK WITH MODEL OF THOR AGENA MISSILE ON BOARD
SATELLITES - DRAWING OF AGEN …
Title SATELLITES - DRAWING OF AGENA ON LAUNCH PAD
DRAFTSMEN AT WORK WITH MODEL …
Title DRAFTSMEN AT WORK WITH MODEL OF THOR AGENA MISSILE ON BOARD
GEMINI 8 RENDEZVOUS WITH AGE …
Title GEMINI 8 RENDEZVOUS WITH AGENA VEHICLE IN ORBIT
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