Project Gemini- NASA's Middle Child Quiz

Answer: Mercury

The Mercury missions focused on suborbital and low orbit flights, as a precursor to the more advanced Gemini missions in America's race to put man in space. The astronauts selected for the Mercury program were touted as 'The Mercury Seven' and Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he blasted off on May 5 1961.

Answer: Virgil Grissom

Virgil 'Gus' Grissom worked closely with the engineers on the design of the Gemini capsule, using himself as a model for the layout and positioning of controls. However, Grissom was one of the shortest astronauts, and they later found that the majority of the Gemini astronauts were too tall for the capsule. Hence the nickname- 'the Gusmobile'.

Answer: 2

The first two Gemini missions were unmanned and designed to test all of the equipment to be used in the later manned flights. Gemini 1 was launched on April 8, 1964 and lasted for 3 orbits of the earth. It successfully tested the Titan-II launch vehicle, the integrity of the spacecraft and the launch vehicle. Gemini 2 was launched January 19, 1965.

It had several major objectives including further training of the ground crew (flight controllers) as well as examining the effectiveness of heat protection on re-entry, fuel supplies and signalling between the ground and the vehicle.

Answer: False

There were ten crewed Gemini missions (from Gemini III) all crewed by two astronauts. The Gemini missions were designed as a transition between the Mercury and Apollo programs. The Gemini program's main objectives were to test equipment and train astronauts and ground crews for upcoming Apollo missions. The Gemini missions lasted from 5 hours to 14 days.

Answer: First American 'Spacewalk'

Astronaut Ed became the first American to leave his spacecraft in flight and this was known as an extravehicular activity, or EVA. Due to the massive press coverage of the event, it quickly became known as a 'spacewalk'. Ed White's first EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) lasted for a total of 23 minutes. He was secured to the capsule by an 8 meter tether, and he propelled himself backwards and forwards to the extent of the tether three times. He used a gas-gun to provide maneuverability and direction. The spacewalk ended when the gas-gun ran out of fuel. No, he did not play golf!

This skill later allowed Apollo explorers to walk on the moon and somewhat later, it facilitated astronauts from around the world to build the International Space Station.

Answer: Longest manned space flight

Gemini V was launched on August 21, 1965 with pilot Charles 'Pete' Conrad Jr. and Command Pilot L. Gordon Cooper Jr. The pair landed safely in the Atlantic Ocean, eight days after take-off, thereby beating the previous longest duration space flight held by Cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky in Vostok V in 1963.

The eight-day flight was intended to mimic the time needed for future flights to reach the moon and return. Later, Jim Lovell and Frank Borman spent 14 days in space aboard Gemini VII, to see if man could handle extended periods in space.

Answer: Molly Brown

Gemini III, the first manned mission, launched March 23, 1965, was manned by Mercury astronaut Gus Grissom, and John Young. Grissom called the capsule 'Molly Brown', which was a reference to both a survivor of the sinking of the Titanic and his Mercury capsule, which, after it splashed down, filled with water and sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

Answer: Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin

Trained in mechanical engineering and with a doctorate in Aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aldrin joined NASA in 1963, with over 2000 hours of jet fighter training (Korean War). In 1969, Aldrin was the second man to set foot on the moon during the Apollo XI mission.

The nearly four-day Gemini XII mission in November 1966, led by James A. Lovell, involved further docking practise with the Agena Target Vehicle, and Aldrin undertaking three extravehicular activities ('space walks').

Answer: True

Gemini was supposed to launch on October 1965 and rendezvous with an unmanned target vehicle in space. However the Agena space vehicle did not make into orbit. So the Gemini VI mission was postponed until Gemini VII was launched on December 4 1965. The earlier mission now designated Gemini VI-a was launched on December 15, 1965 and the two spacecraft rendezvoused on the latter's fourth orbit.

This mission lasted for just under 14 days, longer than the previous record of 8 days. The last three days of the Gemini VII mission were tough for the crew with little to do.

Answer: Gemini VIII

Gemini VIII made the first successful docking in space, linking up with an unmanned Agena Target Vehicle. Docking spacecraft was an essential component in NASA's quest for the moon. Unfortunately, during the docking procedure, one of the Gemini capsule's thrusters malfunctioned fired continuously.

This sent the docked spinning. The crew disengaged the capsule and had to use their re-entry thrusters to bring everything under control. This meant the mission was forced into an earlier landing.