Goals

The second U.S. manned space program was announced in January 1962. Its two-man crew gave it its name, Gemini, for the third constellation of the Zodiac and its twin stars, Castor and Pollux. Gemini involved 12 flights, including two unmanned flight tests of the equipment.

Its major goals were clear-cut:

* To have man and equipment experience space flight for up to two weeks in length;

* To meet and dock with orbiting vehicles and to move the docked combination by using the vehicle's propulsion(rocket) system;

* To perfect methods of entering the atmosphere and landing at a specific point on land. Its goals were also met, with the exception of a land landing, which was cancelled in 1964.

Space Craft

The spacecraft was an enlargement of the familiar Mercury capsule--5.8m (19 ft) long, 3m (10 ft) in diameter, and about 3810 kilograms (8400 pounds) in weight. Engineering changes simplified maintenance and made it more maneuverable for the pilots. The Titan II rocket, more powerful than the Redstone, placed the larger spacecraft into orbit.

Sometimes referred to as Gemini-Titan for the craft and its launch vehicle, each flight was designated by a Roman numeral. Only the first capsule was nicknamed; Command Pilot Virgil Grissom called it the MOLLY BROWN in reference to his Mercury spacecraft that sank.

Types of Rockets

Titan II

Length	36 m
Mass	150,530 kg
Number of engines	2 (stage 1) 1 (stage 2)
Stages	2
Number of wings/fins/stabilizers	0

SLV-3

SLV-3 Atlas

Agena D