|
Author
|
Topic: Gemini 12: Hatch open, stand-up spacewalk
|
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-20-2011 01:32 PM
  
This is one of a series of 23 photos taken of Buzz Aldrin during his Gemini 12 EVA. If Jim Lovell took those pictures, did he have to do a stand-up EVA to take them? Was Lovell's hatch also open during the EVA?  |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2182
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
|
posted 09-20-2011 02:40 PM
As far as I am aware only the pilot's hatch was ever opened during a Gemini EVA. Any shots taken by the commander were taken from the commander's station within the capsule. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
|
posted 09-24-2011 10:56 PM
The metalic pole on the upper right, with the cable wrapped around it, is the antenna mast on the Agena that Gemini 12 docked with. Aldrin, in this position, is directly in front of Jim Lovell's hatch window. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-25-2011 10:48 AM
Thanks for that explanation. It didn't look to me like the EVA photos of Aldrin were taken out the Gemini window because those photos usually show part of the window frame. Photo number S66-62919 seems to show a camera mounted behind Aldrin's hatch. That must be the camera position for two other good EVA shots of Aldrin, photo numbers S66-63536 and S66-63537. |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2182
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
|
posted 09-25-2011 01:45 PM
If it's behind Aldrin's hatch, I'm pretty sure that would be the film camera position. Many of the Gemini EVA shots are actually stills from the film cameras. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
|
posted 09-26-2011 12:59 PM
On many Gemini spacewalks, there were at least three cameras in use. A movie camera mounted by the spacewalker, to the Gemini adapter section immediately behind the pilot's hatch, aimed forward to capture images around the front of the spacecraft and Agena area. The commander would have a hand held still camera and take pictures out his hatch window and maybe through the pilot's open hatch, not leaving his seat. The spacewalker would also sometimes carry a hand held still camera. |
space1
Member Posts: 920
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
|
posted 09-27-2011 11:17 AM
Looking though the Gemini XII photos at the National Archives website, I found this hidden gem: It's a photo taken by Buzz Aldrin during his stand-up EVA. It shows Jim Lovell seated in the left seat. You can see his face below the Environmental Control System rings, looking over at the camera, with his right arm in the lower foreground. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-27-2011 11:48 AM
These high-resolution Gemini images are revealing details that I have never seen before. Here is another one. Check out photo number S66-62984. It shows Buzz Aldrin inside the Gemini 12 spacecraft with a floating slide rule and a pipe.  |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 2093
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 09-27-2011 01:20 PM
One can only speculate that this familiar habit gave him some comfort during his flight. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
|
posted 09-27-2011 01:59 PM
In the Gemini IX image NASA S66-38043, taken by Cernan during his spacewalk, you can see the movie camera mounted behind his hatch on the adapter section (this camera failed and no spacewalk pictures were captured). If you look to the right, into the Command Pilot window, you can see spacesuit gloved fingers and a camera lens in the window. This is Tom Stafford taking pictures of spacewalking Cernan.  |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-27-2011 02:01 PM
I do see Stafford in the window. Amazing detail. WOW! Cernan's hatch looks so cluttered. He must have had a hard time getting back in the spacecraft after that difficult and exhausting EVA. quote:
Originally posted by garymilgrom:
One can only speculate that this familiar habit gave him some comfort during his flight.
That pipe is certainly not something you would expect to see in orbit. He obviously didn't light the thing, but the photo does makes you stop and think for a moment, considering what happened two months later. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3279
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 09-27-2011 03:37 PM
quote:
Originally posted by nasamad:
As far as I am aware only the pilot's hatch was ever opened during a Gemini EVA.
James Dean's beautiful illustration on the front cover of Michael Collins' book "Liftoff" is presumably an accurate representation of this too. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-27-2011 07:31 PM
That book cover depicts a Gemini EVA with the Agena undocked. I don't think that ever happened. I believe that on the Gemini EVAs that involved the Agena, the Gemini-Agena was always docked. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1527
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
|
posted 09-27-2011 08:37 PM
Yes, in fact John Young did a rendezvous with the Gemini VIII Agena and performed station-keeping within 3 meters of the Agena while Collins attempted to spacewalk over to it. Collins had a very difficult time of getting over to the Agena, floating off several times before he was able to use his "handgun" to float to the Agena and retrieve some experiment packages. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3279
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 09-27-2011 10:57 PM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
I don't think that ever happened.
Mike Collins and John Young would disagree with you.Incidentally, I just recalled another painting of the scene, this time by Ed Hengeveld, that appears on P.220 of David Harland's book "How NASA Learned to Fly in Space." |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-27-2011 11:34 PM
Thanks for the correction. Too bad the camera was lost on that EVA. |
heng44
Member Posts: 3627
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
|
posted 09-28-2011 12:12 AM
quote:
Originally posted by space1:
It's a photo taken by Buzz Aldrin during his stand-up EVA.
A similar photo exists of Pete Conrad taken by Dick Gordon on Gemini 11. |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2182
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
|
posted 09-28-2011 12:40 AM
There's an amazing photo of Dick Gordon inside Gemini XI suited up for EVA. I originally saw it on Dick's website and at first glance it looks to have been taken in B&W, but looking at the hi-res version on the National Archives site it is indeed in colour and even more of a beautiful shot than I realised.(There are also onboard shots of Collins, Cernan, Stafford and Young taken aboard Gemini flights, most are slightly out of focus but some could be usable with a bit of digital work.) |
space1
Member Posts: 920
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
|
posted 09-28-2011 08:02 AM
Here's the photo to which Ed is referring (Pete Conrad in Gemini XI). Some of these scans get quite murky in the dark areas. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-28-2011 09:03 AM
quote:
Originally posted by nasamad:
There's an amazing photo of Dick Gordon inside Gemini XI suited up for EVA.
See Space History Photo of the Week 359 (September 17, 2011) |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-28-2011 05:48 PM
Apart from some grainy poor-quality video stills, I don't recall ever seeing any good EVA photos of either Mike Collins or Richard Gordon outside the Gemini spacecraft. I don't see any on the National Archives website.Did John Young take any good EVA photos of Mike Collins outside the spacecraft on Gemini 10? Did Pete Conrad take any good EVA photos of Richard Gordon outside the spacecraft on Gemini 11? |
heng44
Member Posts: 3627
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
|
posted 09-29-2011 06:55 AM
No, there are no Hasselblad photos of the EVAs of Mike Collins on 10 and Dick Gordon on 11. There are also no 16mm pictures of Collins. In addition, I believe Collins let a Hasselblad float away. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 09-29-2011 11:09 AM
That is unfortunate and a bit surprising.Photo S66-63451 shows Lovell on Gemini 12 with the hatches closed, but the image is very dark.  |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 10-07-2011 08:05 PM
quote:
Originally posted by nasamad:
There are also onboard shots of Collins...
The Space History Photo of the Week dated June 3, 2005 shows Mike Collins onboard Gemini 10. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3675
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 10-16-2022 12:21 AM
In the National Archives gallery, Gemini 12 photo S66-62980 is just a blank photo that shows no details at all. In the March to the Moon gallery, the same photo number S66-62980 is a grainy upside down photo that seems to show Jim Lovell with his eyes closed.  |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 410
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
|
posted 10-31-2022 05:36 AM
quote:
Originally posted by nasamad:
There's an amazing photo of Dick Gordon inside Gemini XI suited up for EVA.
I have that Gordon photo signed by him. When he signed it, he told me his hatch was open. He said the photo was taken while they were dumping trash overboard. Kinda takes away from the beauty of the photo, but I love it anyway. The EVA photos are all taken from movie stills. I have one of those signed too, but I keep the trash dumping photo on my wall. |
advertisement