Re: Apollo CM Space


"Kevin Willoughby" <KevinWilloughby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:MPG.1cdcbd11f53bb455989d68@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> In article <ac9ab$4270e168$927a2ce9$31794@xxxxxxxx>,
> jeff.findley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx says...
> > And Gemini was huge compared to Mercury, even considering that there
were
> > two people in Gemini.
>
> No. The habitable volume of Gemini was less than twice the habitable
> volume of Mercury. The volume per person was actually less.

You're right.

Mercury: Habitable Volume: 1.70 m3
Gemini: Habitable Volume: 2.55 m3

> > Enough so that on the Blue Gemini intended to be
> > used for MOL, there was room for a hatch in the heat shield between the
two
> > seats. There is an unflown Blue Gemini in this configuration at the
USAF
> > Museum in Dayton Ohio.
>
> Flown, actually. Although unmanned. Iirc, it was flown twice.

The one in Dayton was not flown. The one that was flown was actually
converted from the flown Gemini 2 capsule. According to the field guide of
American Spacecraft (http://aesp.nasa.okstate.edu/fieldguide/pages/gemini/),
this capsule is actually at the U.S. Air Force Space Museum, Cape Canaveral
Air Station, Florida. The one I am referring to is listed in the guide as
Gemini MOL-B. Here is a picture (it's an old picture, the spacecraft has
since been moved):

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/space_flight/sf4.htm

You can just make out the hatch in the heat shield.

> I've seen this bird. It would have required quite a bit of physical
> flexibility to go from the MOL into the Gemini. I doubt it would have
> been possible if wearing a spacesuit.

You've seen the flown Gemini capsule at the US Air Force Space Museum in
Florida, or the unflown capsule at the US Air Force Museum in Ohio?

Jeff
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