posted 03-23-2016 09:28 PM               

Space Cover 360: Do you have this Project Gemini Cover?

In the early days of space cover collecting launch aborts were not serviced by the various cover servicers at the launch sites because there was not a launch.

This in general applies to an important Project Gemini launch for the unmanned Gemini Titan 2 flight. Fortunately for collectors Centennial Covers created a hard to find Gemini 2 abort cover.

Now for the rest of the story...

The primary objectives for Gemini 2 included: demonstrate reentry heat protection during maximum heating reentry; demonstrate structural integrity of spacecraft; demonstrate satisfactory performance of major subsystems; demonstrate checkout and launch procedures; and evaluate backup guidance steering signals through launch.

The secondary objectives for Gemini 2 included: obtain test results on fuel cell and reactant supply, cryogenics, and communications systems; demonstrate and further flight-qualify Gemini launch vehicle and spacecraft from countdown through insertion. Train flight controllers and qualify ground communications tracking system.

The Titan II/Gemini 2 launch vehicle was erected in mid-1964 only to be dismantled to protect it from 2 hurricanes in August and September of 1964. The second stage of the vehicle was taken down and stored in a hanger on Aug. 26, 1964 in preparation for Hurricane Cleo, but the entire launch vehicle was dismantled and removed from Pad 19 in early September before Hurricane Dora passed over the Cape on Sept. 9, 1964. The Gemini launch vehicle was erected for the final time on Pad 19 on Sept. 12, 1964.

Gemini 2 was scheduled for launch Dec. 9, 1964. On that date the countdown reached zero and the stage one engines ignited. The launch vehicle's Malfunction Detection System detected technical problems due to a loss of hydraulic pressure and shutdown the engines about one second after ignition.

The problem was fixed and Gemini 2 launched on Jan. 19, 1965 with all primary mission objectives achieved. All secondary objectives except fuel cell test were achieved because the fuel cell deactivated before liftoff.

As seen at the beginning of this post, Centennial Covers produced a cover for the Dec. 9 abort so be sure to find this cover as a Project Gemini collection is incomplete without it!

posted 03-24-2016 02:04 PM               

I remember I bought it several years ago with a supposed add-on cachet by ink printer though.

However, it is a bit different than above cover as the slug time is A.M. and, if I am not wrong, the GT-2 was officially scrubbed just before noon on Dec 9, 1964.

posted 03-24-2016 04:46 PM               

It depicts an Atlas-Agena launch vehicle from Pad 14, of which, was later used to orbit Agena docking target vehicles for the last five Gemini crews in 1966.

To answer Antoni's question, you are correct, as the original GT-2 launch date had been set for 11 am on Dec. 9, 1964. Forty-one minutes later after a slight delay, Titan's twin booster engines came to life at 11:41 am, but shutting down one second later!

What many folks don't know about the Gemini 2 spacecraft is a little known fact; The re-entry portion of the flown Gemini 2 capsule was refurbished and flown again on Nov. 3, 1966, in a suborbital trajectory heat shield test flight for the U.S. Department of Defense Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program.

The recovered Gemini 2 re-entry module (now referred to as Gemini B) had been launched atop an air force Titan III-C rocket from the Cape's launch complex 40 in just under 2 years after GT-2 first flew from pad 19.

You could say that Gemini 2/B, or the re-entry module section of the flown-recovered spacecraft, was the first-ever "re-used" manned-type related capsule flown twice in space, even though GT-2 and Titan III-C (Vehicle No. 9) were not manned spaceflights.

The modified Gemini B spacecraft atop a Titan III-C "space bus" canister rocket, however, was the only MOL test flight in the entire 6-year MOL program history.