SPACE MISSIONS

By: James Phommaxay, Andrew Fazekas, and Nick Chase

Warm-up

In 3-5 sentences write what you know about the three main space missions. To refresh your mind, the three we are talking about are Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.

Objectives

Understand the three different space missions and what they did throughout their time.

Project Mercury Initiated in 1958, completed in 1963 Project Mercury was the United States' first

man-in-space program.

Mercury Objectives

The objectives of the program was to Orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth To investigate man's ability to function in space To recover both man and spacecraft safely

Requirements for Spacecraft The spacecraft must be fitted with a reliable launch-escape

system to separate the spacecraft and its crew from the launch vehicle in case of impending failure.

The pilot must be given the capability of manually controlling spacecraft attitude.

The spacecraft must carry a retrorocket system capable of reliably providing the necessary impulse to bring the spacecraft out of orbit.

A zero-lift body utilizing drag braking would be used for reentry.

The spacecraft design must satisfy the requirements for a water landing.

Project Mercury Astronauts Lieutenant Commander Alan Shepard (U.S. Navy) Captain Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom (U.S. Air Force) Captain Leroy G. (Gordon) Cooper (U.S. Air Force) Lieutenant Commander Walter M. Schirra (U.S. Navy) Captain Donald K. (Deke) Slayton (U.S. Air Force) Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn (U.S. Marine Corps) Lieutenant Malcolm S. (Scott) Carpenter (U.S. Navy)

 Top row (L-R): Shepard, Grissom, Cooper  Bottom row (L-R): Schirra, Slayton, Glenn, Carpenter

Mercury Spacecraft one-shaped one-man capsule with a cylinder mounted on top.  The blunt end was covered with an ablative heat shield to

protect it against the 3,000 degree heat of entry into the atmosphere.

The dimension of it were 6.5 feet long and 6.2 feet in diameter.

Video

Discussion

Project Gemini The second U.S. manned space program that was

announced in January 1962.

Project Gemini - Goal To subject two men and supporting equipment to long

duration flights -- a requirement for projected later trips to the moon or deeper space.

To perfect methods of entering the atmosphere and landing at a preselected point on land.

To rendezvous and dock with orbiting vehicles and to maneuver the docked combination by using the target vehicle's propulsion system

To gain additional information concerning the effects of weightlessness on crew members and physiological reactions of crew members during long duration flights.

To provide the astronauts with zero-gravity, rendezvous, and docking experience required for Apollo

Project Gemini Spacecraft 5.8 meters long 3 meters in diameter 3180 kilograms (8400 pounds) It was designed as a two-man spacecraft

Gemini Astronauts The Sixteen Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Frank Borman, Charles 'Pete' Conrad, Jr,

James A. Lovell, Jr, James A. McDivitt, Elliot M. See, Thomas J. Stafford, Edward H. White II, and John W.Young

Video

Discussion

Apollo The Apollo program was the third human

spaceflight program by NASA.

Apollo Objectives To establish the technology to meet other national

interests in space. To achieve preeminence in space for the United

States To carry out a program of scientific exploration of

the Moon To develop man's capability to work in the lunar

environment.

Apollo Spacecraft Command Module - designed to carry three astronauts

from launch to lunar orbit and back to an Earth ocean landing.

11.42 feet tall 12.83 feet in diameter 12,250 pounds Service Module – it supported the command Module, with

a service propulsion engine and an RCS with propellants, and a fuel cell power generation system with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants.

24.6 feet long 12.83 feet in diameter Weighed just over 54,000 pounds

Apollo Spacecraft – Landing on the Moon Lunar Module - was designed to descend from lunar orbit to

land two astronauts on the Moon and take them back to orbit to rendezvous with the Command Module

(Neil Armstrong’s crew was the first to actually do the lunar landing and walk on the moon on their mission, making Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon.)

Video

Discussion

Ending Question

In 3-5 sentences explain the differences and the goals of the three space missions.