Gemini 4 Flight

8/8/2019 Gemini 4 Flight

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ANNED SPACECRAFHOUSTON , T eXAS

NAT ION A L A E RON AU T I CS AND SPACE

Source o f AcquisitionCAS! Acquired FACT SHEET 29181965GEMINI 4 FLIGHT N66 90215Astronauts James A. McDivitt an d Edward R ..

White II were selected as command pilot and pilot,respectively, for the Gemini 4 (GT-4 ) mission on July27, 1964.

Almost 11 months later, on June 3, 1965, McDivittand White lifted off from Cape Kennedy, Florida, on afour-day mission which provided a number of firsts inAmerican space history. During the in terim they werebusy with a variety of activities which would preparethem for that flight.

They started an intensive training schedule in orderthat they might be prepared to meet the mission objectives. This schedule included refresher courses inmany fields of the overall astronaut training program.I t also included many hours of training for the extravehicular activity (EVA ) although that activity wasnot approved for the flight until May 24, ten daysbefore the mission, due to the fact that qual ificationtest s on the EVA equipment were not completed un t ilmid-May.

GEMINI 4 EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY - Astronaut Edward H. White is shown a s he per formed his maneuvers outside the spacecraft during thethird revolution of the four-da y flight.


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THE GEMINI 4 FLIGHT CREW, McDivitt, left, an d White ar e shown above using a celestial navigation aid to study the constellations they expectedto see on their flight. Below McDivitt receives an eye examination from Air Force Lt. Col. James F. Culver during the comprehensive physical ex -amination undergone by both pilots tw o days prior to the start of the mission.


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Also, during the interim, McDivitt and White "practically lived" with their spacecraft from it s assemblystage in the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation untilafter the mission.

At the completion of al l simulated flights and, withthe mission given a "GO" by the Mission Director, thecrew was given a final physical examination two daysbefore the flight and pronounced ready to go.The crew was awakened at 4: 10 a.m. on the morningof the flight, an d following a brief physical examinationand the traditional breakfast with invited guests, theyleft thei r Merritt Island quarters at 5:22 a.m. and arrived at the suit-up area at 5:35 a.m. The body medical sensors were attached, they were suited and left thearea for the launch pad shortly after 7 a.m. McDivittand White arrived at the launch complex at 7:08 a.m .and stepped into the spacecraft four minutes later.D uring the period in the suit-up area the crew wasbriefed on early countdown activities and checks bythe backup command pilot Frank Borman. Backuppi lot James Lovell remained in the spacecraft to continue these checks until shortly before the arrival ofthe crew.Th e countdown for the GT-4 flight ra n smoothlyun ti l T minus 35 minutes. At this time difficulty wasencountered in lowering the launch vehicle erectortower. Th e hold to solve this problem lasted one hour

GEMINI SUIT TECHNICIAN Jo e Schmitt, right, helps White suit up onflight da y . At the sam e time, White was breathing pure oxygen inorder to purge his body of nitroge n before th e flight . Th is was neces sary because of th e planned de pressur ization of the spacec raf t fo r th eEVA .

an d 16 minutes - then the countdown proceeded uninterrupted and Gemini 4 lifted off the pad at 10 :16a.m. (EST ) .FLIGHT OBJECT IVES

Major objectives of the Gemini 4 mission were: To demonstrate and evaluate the performance ofthe spacecraft's systems for a period of approximatelyfour days in space; an d To evaluate the effects of prolonged exposure ofthe flight crew to the space environmen t in preparationfor flights of longer duration.Other objectives assigned to the mission were : To demonstrate extravehicular activity; To conduct station keeping and rendezvous activities with the second stage of the launch vehicle; To demonstrate the capability of making signifi-cant in-plane an d out-of-plane maneuvers; To demonstrate th e capability of the orbital att itude and maneuver system to operate as a ba cku p tothe retrograde rocket system; and To execute 11 experiments.All of these objectives were met with two exceptions.A decision was made late in the first revolu tion no t toattempt the rendezvous with the launch vehIcle's sec-

LAST WALK BEFORE A LONG RIDE - Astronauts McDivitt an d White ,ar e shown as they walk up the ramp at Pad 19 on the morning of theflight . McD ivitt smiles b roadly a s White gives the t raditional " thumbsup" signal to med ia rep resentative s , contractor and NASA personnelon th e pa d a t the time .


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d stage because the fuel allotted for this activity ha dused up during the station keeping exercise (rewithin a se t range) with the second stage. Areentry was not flown because of

inadvertent alteration of the computer memory durg the 48th revolution. This alteration occurred duringto remove power from the computer followg an apparent malfunction of the computer powercircuitry. Consequently, a rolling reentry washa d been done on all Mercury flights.

The Gemini 4 spacecraft landed in the Atlantic50 miles short of its intended target, the aircraft"Wasp", at 12:12 p.m. (EST ) on June 7 afterplus revolutions of the earth in anof 97 hours and 56 minutes. Just 30 minlater the astronauts emerged from the spacecraftd were picked up by a helicopter to be transported"Wasp." They touched down on the carrier'sat 1:09 p.m ., (EST ) just 57 minutes after theirha d ended. This mission was succompleted at 2:29 p.m. (EST ) with the rethe spacecraft by the "Wasp."

POSTFLIGHT NEWS CONFERENCEA postflight news conference was conducted at Hous30 minutes after the crew landed on the

carrier deck with NASA an d Department of Defensepersonnel as participants. Taking part were Dr. GeorgeE. Mueller, Associate Administrator for Manned SpaceFlight, NASA; Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director ofManned Spacecraft Center; Ma j . Gen. Vincent G.Huston, Assistant DO D Manager for Manned SpaceFlight Operations; Christopher C. Kraft, Jr ., AssistantDirector of MS C for Flight Operations; who also servedas both Mission Director an d Flight Director forGemini 4; Charles W. Mathews, Gemini ProgramManager, MSC; and Dr . Charles Berry, Chief of MS CMedical Operations.

Following the introduction, each of the participantsspoke briefly before the conference was thrown openfor questions. Dr. Mueller acknowledged th e supportof everyone in the industry-government-DOD teamwhich made the success of the mission possible. He alsopointed out that at least two world firsts had been accomplished during the flight - for the first time twomen spent four days in orbit; and, for the first timeextravehicular activity was carried out with a propulsive device which permits man to maneuver free of hisspacecraft in space.

Dr. Gilruth added his gratification to th e entire teaman d emphasized the part played by the Mission Control Center at Houston, used to control a mission for

ONBOARD AND READY TO GO - The Gemini 4 flight crew ar e shown inside their spacecraft just prior to the time th e hatches were closed duringthe final phase of the countdown.


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the first time in the Gemini 4 flight. General Huston,Kraft, Mathews and Berry, added their personalpraises for the teamwork exhibited.

During the question and answer session, Dr. Berrypointed ou t that early indications were that the crewwere in excellent physical condition. He said that hefelt results of this flight would prove there were noserious effects to crew members as a result of four daysof weightlessness; that the idea the heatload would betoo great during reentry was refuted (readings in th espacecraft on the water immediately following landingindicated a spacecraft temperature of 70 ) ; and the contention of some people that extravehicular activitycould not be accomplished because of vertigo ha d beendisproved.

Mathews, in answer to a question about the computer problem and possible effects that problem mighthave on the next scheduled flight, said: "I don't anticipate that type of problem would cause a delay . Ofcourse, we do have a failure analysis - we're takingimmediate steps. We're already setting up a meetingwith all the people involved to determine jus t how tohandle the various guidance and control equipmentthat might be involved. I expect we'll find the answerfairly early for that class of failure. Failures in electronic equipment can generally be rectified quiterapidly."

He added that he was quite surprised at how nominally the spacecraft ha d behaved during the four-dayflight. He said all the temperatures, pressures and fuel

THE GEMINI 4 LIFTS OFF f rom Launch Pad 19 at Cape Kennedy at 10 : 16 a .m . (EST) on June 3, 1965.


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Above an d below ar e additional pictures taken of White by the command pilot as he went through various maneuvers during his 20 minutes plusoutside the spacecraft.

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A DOWNRANGE RECOVERY AREA WELCOME - White an d McDiviHar e shown as they stepped from the recovery helicopter onto the deckof the aircraft carrier USS Wasp to be greeted by Capt . J. W. Conger,commander of the Wasp, left, an d Rear Admiral W. H. McCormick,commander of Carrier Division 14, Atlantic Fleet. Below the tw obearded astronauts huddle even more closely than they did in theirspacecraft to accept the congratulations of President Lyndon B.Johnson .

consumption were quite predictable and "about assteady as a rock." At this point, Kraft said: "I thinkyou ought to say there, Chuck, that th e performanceof the environmental control system was far aboveanything we've ever expected it to be. We never ha dany moisture problem in the spacecraft during thewhole flight. And the relative humidity stayed almostconstant from liftoff to landing."

FLIGHT CREW NEWS CONFERENCEMcDivitt and White were the principals at a newsconference at Houston four days after they completedtheir flight. During the interim period they had undergone a series of medical and technical debriefings. Dr .

Robert C. Seamans, Associate Administrator ofNASA; and Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director ofManned Spacecraft Center, made brief remarks tostart this conference.Th e pilots alternated in covering various phases ofthe mission. McDivitt started by discussing th e launchand first orbit, during which an effort was made to staywith the second stage of the launch vehicle; White described the extravehicular activity; McDivitt told ofthe exercises conducted during the long period whichfollowed the EVA; and White described the activities


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connected with preparation for reentry and during theactual reentry an d rescue operation.McDivitt said that at the completion of the turn-around maneuver after separation of the launch vehi-cle, the spacecraft was less than 600 feet in front of itan d off to one side of it. He also noted that th e second

stage was tumbling an d that the tumbling rate in-creased rapidly. McDivitt made continual attempts toclose the distance between the spacecraft and thelaunch vehicle stage bu t the latter fell away so rapidlythat by the time the spacecraft came out of th e nightside for the first time the crew estimated it was severalmiles away from them and well below them. Additionaluse of he thrusters in an attempt to narrow th e dis-tance failed and McDivitt recommended to Flight Director Chris Kraft that they not make any furtherattempt at rendezvous because of the major expendi-ture of fuel involved and Kraft agreed.

During the first pass of Gemini 4 over the UnitedStates, the crew started preparation for th e extravehic-ular activity. White said that McDivitt took the check

THE GEMINI 4 SPACECRAFT is shown as it wa s hoisted aboard th ecarrier wilh ils flolalion collar slill aHached .

list and went through it with him, item by item, as hedonned the equipment. This checkout progressedsmoothly bu t after both pilots felt they were being hurried to complete th e preparation in time, they decidedto postpone the EVA to the following revolution, an dthey notified the flight director of their decision.

Th e crew then had an ample amount of time to gothrough the checklist again an d to check an d double-check all the equipment required for America's firstattempt of putting man into space without the protec-tive cover of a spacecraft.When all the equipment was ready, the crew depres-surized the spacecraft to two pounds pe r square inch tomake certain the suits would hold the 3%-pounds pe r

square inch pressure they were to use during the EV A.The suits were working well an d McDivitt depressedthe cabin to vacuum shortly after receiving a "GO"for that operation from the flight director as theypassed the Carnarvon, Australia Tracking Station.They were prepared and ready as they reachedHawaii and Kraft gave them approval to start the EVAat that time. White was outside the spacecraft about

23 minutes.In describing the activity, White said in part, "Thegun actually provided the impulse for me to leave thespacecraft . . . I maneuvered approximately down th e

center line of the spacecraft perhaps favoring just alittle on the right." Speaking of his maneuvers fromthat time, he said that he started to yaw around leftwith the gun, and added that he knew that "we actually ha d something with the gun because it was actu-ally providing me an opportunity to control myselfwhere I wanted to go ou t there. The control was actu-ally what we were trying to demonstrate in our EVAoperation. We knew a little bi t about the tether dynamics but we wanted to actually find ou t how well a manoutside the spacecraft could control himself with amaneuvering unit an d in later parts of the EVA wewanted to find out how well the ma n could controlhimself with the tether."

Speaking of their long drifting portion of flight,McDivitt said that it was impossible to cover that phasein a sequential order, although the crew learned a lo tabout eating and sleeping in space, performing realtillle flight planning, and provided much data for th emedical people on the ability of men to function in theweightless environment during a long-duration mission.

Both pilots described the view during reentry asbeautiful. McDivitt said, in part, " . . . we saw pink lightcoming up around our spacecraft, it got orange, thenred, and pretty soon we saw green. I t was the mostbeautiful sight I've ever seen. The thing that impressedme most about the reentry was that we were actuallyable to see the ground."

During the question and answer period which fol-lowed. White was asked whether he felt some reluc-tance about coming back into the spacecraft. Hereplied, "Well, I can tell you in all sincerity and hon-esty that I enjoyed EVA very much. I thought it wasa wonderful opportunity that I ha d to represent thepeople of our country in this endeavor, and, I can also


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ABOVE, President Johnson looks over a Gemini 4 souvenir photo album, presented to him du ring his visit to Manned Spacecraft Center by theflight crew . left to right: NASA Administrator James E. Webb, McDivitt (holding a framed photo of White during EVA) , NASA's Associate Adm in-istrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans Jr ., President Johnson, an d White. Below, McDivitt speaks in a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House as theflight crew presents a flag carried in Gemini 4 spacecraft to the President. left to right, foreground, ar e McDivitt, Wh ite, President Johnson an d VicePresident Hubert H. Humphrey .


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tell you honestly I was sorry to see it draw to a close.About being reluctant to come back in, I suppose personally I was reluctant to come in . . . bu t there was nodoubt in my mind that when the flight director toldme this phase of the mission was over it was time tocome back in."

In answer to another question, White said he hadabsolutely no sensation of falling while he was out ofthe spacecraft. He compared the sensation he had toflying over the earth from about 20,000 feet.

Th e difficulty in closing the hatch, following EVA,was discussed and, in this connection it was pointedout that in preparation for the mission the pilots hadcompletely disassembled the hatch and pu t it togetherthemselves. McDivitt said, "This is one of the reasonsthat it takes so long to prepare for one of these flights.You just can't cover every eventuality like this ratherinsignificant thing - at least it was insignificant beforeflight. You really can't train for all these things andcover them al l unless you do it hard an d long."

Both pilots were asked whether they thought itwould be possible for a ma n to spend 12 to 14 days ina spacecraft and work effectively and if they would bewilling to do it.In response to these questions, McDivitt said, "Yes,

I think it would be possible for a man to do this. Ithink the things we've learned - the things that I specifically learned - are that we've got to rearrange ourwork-rest cycles a little differently than we ha dplanned . I think if we start out like this a man will berested. I think there's enough room in the spacecraftto do this. We came back without a single pressurepoint on our bodies from our pressure suits. I thinkthis is pretty interesting. We didn't have any effectsfrom our weightlessness. Now maybe longer durationmight, bu t I don't think so. We've got to provide sufficient food and water and rest periods for people inspace the same way that we do on the ground. I don'tthink there should be any problem. I'd be willing todo it."

White said, "Yes, I'd be happy to answer it. Jim , Ithink, very adequately expressed most of my feelingson it. And I want to say one other - amplify one otherpoint that Ji m brought out. The food that we had alongon the flight . . . it was very apparent to me that afterfour or five hours, if I didn't take a meal, I felt like Iwas slowing down a little bi t and it was more pronounced than when I get hungry here. I tend to behungry quite often here, but up there when I gothungry my energy level went down considerably. Andeach time I' d take a meal it was like a shot in the arm.My energy level went - boomed right up - back upto the level that it ha d been prior to the time that I'dkind of run out of gas from lack of food . . . the pointI'm making is that we can go the long duration flightsbut I think we have to be sure that we provide adequatefood. I think Ji m went through the same cycle eachtime that he didn't eat and as soon as he ate we wereright back up on a good working level. The food wasvery important."

POSTFLIGHT ACTIVITIESThere were a number of postflight activities which

involved the GT -4 crew. On June 11 President LyndonB . Johnson visited Manned Spacecraft Center an d congratulated the flight crew as well as all who ha d participated in the program. A highlight of that visit wasthe unexpected announcement by the President thathe was nominating both McDivitt an d White for onegrade promotions to Lieutenant Colonel, in th e AirForce. Th e White House later announced that allastronauts would receive a one-grade promotion following their first successful flight.

Two days later, McDivitt and White were honorguests at a dinner sponsored by the Houston Chamberof Commerce. This affair was the start of a very busyweek for the crew which had spent four days seeing noone but each other in very cramped quarters.On June 14 they were recipients of a ticker-tape parade in Chicago with an estimated crowd of more thantwo million people lining the parade route - the larges t turnout ever reported in that city. They were ac

companied on this ride by Vice President Hubert H.Humphrey. Other activities in Chicago included speaking to 3,000 students in a theater, being made honorarycitizens of the city, and watching a giant fireworks display in their honor that evening.

On the following day, McDivitt and White, both1959 graduates of the University of Michigan in aeronautical engineering, journeyed to Ann Arbor, Michigan . There they received honorary degrees as Doctorof Astronautical Science and participated in a ribboncutting ceremony to open a $1.7 million space researchlaboratory.

On June 16 both pilots were honored by their hometowns. McDivitt was feted at Jackson, Michigan, witha parade witnessed by 125,000. He was presented witha gold windshield wiper - a reminder that during theEVA White ha d brushed against his windshield an dleft a mark on it. On that same day, White washonored at Sa n Antonio, Texas, where a crowd estimated at 150,000 lined a parade route. During activities that day, White placed a wreath at the entranceto the Alamo.

The two crew members were reunited in Houston,and on June 17, along with Charles W . Mathews andtheir families, flew to Washington for activities there.During ceremonies in the Rose Garden at th e WhiteHouse, President Johnson presented the NASA Exceptional Service Award to both McDivitt and White, andthe NASA Outstanding Leadership Award to Mathews.Th e astronauts, in turn, presented a small flag theyha d carried on their space journey to the President.

Following the White House ceremony the group wastaken in a motorcade up Pennsylvania Avenue to theCapitol. While there they visited both Houses of th eCongress an d the astronauts were presented with theflags which flew in front of the East and West wings ofthe Capitol during their flight. That evening they werehonor guests at a State Department dinner. One of th ehighlights of the day was an invitation by the President to McDivitt, White, Mathews an d their familiesto spend the night as his guests in the White House .This surprise was topped later when the President informed them they were to leave for Paris the following


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orning to attend the Paris Air Show which was inprogress at that time.On Friday, June 18, McDivitt, White, and Mathews,accompanied by Vice President Hum phrey and JamesWebb, NASA Administrator, boarded the Presi

dent's plane for the trip to Paris. They were accompanied by their wives. The group was met at Le Bourget Airfield by a crowd estimated at 15,000 peopledespite the fact that the trip was made on short notice.the highlights of the Paris trip was the meetingMcDivitt an d White and Cosmonaut YuriGagarin at lunch at the Air Show the following day.

EVA CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENTExtravehicular activities have been a major objective of the Gemini Program since its initiation. Develof equipment with which to perform this activy has taken place over a period of several years.factors were instrumental in the decision toattempt EVA on the Gemini 4 flight.First, the Gemini 4 spacecraft was basically the

as that used on the Gemini 3 mission,due to the performance of the GT-3 spacecraft,of the questionable engineering areas had beenIn fact, the tests of the GT-4 spacecraft ate McDonnell Aircraft Corp . plant were completed in

UNDERWEAR- : ' - - -LOMFORT LAYER

PRESSURE BLADDERRESTRAINT LAYER

' - - - - - (LINK NET )

BUMPER LAYERS HT-]ALUMINIZED THERMALLAYERFELT LAYE:R HT-]

OUTER LAYER HT-1

showing the various layers of the Gemini ExtraveSpace Suit .

about 60 per cent of the time required for similar testson the GT-3 spacecraft.Secondly, the extravehicular equipment program developed rapidly during the months just preceding th eGT-4 flight an d the completion of the qualification

testing of this equipment was completed in sufficienttime to permit inclusion of the activity on the flight.

Following are the major milestones in the development of this capability. Gemini suit development was initiated during thefirst quarter of 1961. The features of the suit encompassed an extravehicular capability with only moderate modifications of the basic design required at alater date. In early 1964, specific extravehicular suit featureswere initiated; the umbilical design was initiated; initial zero-g ingress and egress tests were performed; anddevelopment of extravehicular life support equipmentwas initiated. In November 1964, the hatch of the GT-3 spacecraft was opened during altitude chamber tests.

o

A CLOSEUP VIEW of the chest pack worn by White during EVA ,above, an d the hand held self maneuvering unit, below .


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In January 1965, White started a series of zero-gingress and egress exercises. In March 1965, a ecision was made for White to

open the hatch an d stand up at 150,000 feet during theGT-4 altitude chamber tests. Also, during that month,the first extravehicular suits were delivered.

In April 1965, the first manned altitude chamberruns with the GT-4 EVA equipment were made.

In mid-May 1965, qualification testing of all GT-4EVA equipment was completed and White completedaltitude chamber runs at 180,000 feet using thisequipment. On May 24, 1965, the decision was made to include the EVA in the flight plan for the GT-4 flight. In addition, White trained with the hand-heldself maneuvering unit on a specially designed simulator at Manned Spacecraft Center. This device enabled him to become accustomed to the movements hewould make in space through use.of the unit.Total extravehicular suit usage time prior to the

flight was 200 hours, including 60 hours with Whitein the suit; 10 long duration extravehicular mannedtests of the extravehicular systems tests were completed; and White had completed 110 egress/ingressruns under zero-g conditions.

EVA EQUIPMENTAs noted previously, a modified Gemini suit wasused for the EVA. This suit consisted of a cottonundergarment, a cotton comfort layer, a rubber pressure layer, a layer of Link net, seven layers of aluminized mylar insulation (interspaced with six layers ofnon-woven Dacron ) for thermal protection, a thickfelt layer for meteoroid protection, an d a white reflective outer layer of nylon.Th e EVA suit weighs approximately 34 pounds ascompared to 24 pounds for the regular Gemini suit.Th e suit was fabricated by the David Clark Company.The umbilical cord is manufactured by Garrett AiResearch. This cord is wrapped in Scotch plastic tape andwas gold-coated and heat-treated. The cord itself was

about one inch in diameter and included a one-halfinch flat nylon tether, a silicone rubber oxygen hosewith an inside dimension of one-quarter inch, four electrical leads, and a communications lead. Total lengthof the umbilical cord was about 25 feet and its weightwas slightly over nine pounds. The nylon tether was a1,000-pound test line an d the umbilical was designedso that all the strain was on the tether. The tether wasattached to the elbow restraint of th e pilot's spacecraft seat with the other end attached to the D ring ofthe parachute harness.

The chest pack used by White was developed at

SPACE PHOTOGRAPHY - Cape Kennedy, Florida, as seen from Gemini 4. This photo obtained with a hand held camera from more than 100 milesup demonstrates the clarity of objects on the ground from that height . The Saturn V launch complexes ar e seen in the upper center of the picture .


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Spacecraft Center. I t was 13 inches long, sixwide, an d two inches deep. This pack was de to regulate the suit pressure at a constant rate.t also provides an oxygen supply which can be usedcase of a failure in the umbilical supply.

The other item used during the EVA was the handself maneuvering unit, also developed an d fabriat Manned Spacecraft Center. This unit perto move right or left, front or back, or updown as he desired. The unit used during GT-4 proonly a minimum of "fuel" for maneuvers. Theused was pure oxygen. A carr..era was

to this unit which White could trigger withs left hand. Total weight of the maneuvering unit

GT-4 EXPERIMENTSThere were 11 scientific, medical, technological andexperiments conducted during the Gemini

Because of the nature of these experiments,a preliminary evaluation of the results are availat this time. Detailed evaluation can be made onlycompletion of the Gemini program after the reof the individual experiments have been compiledmany of the experiments are to be made on aof flights. A rundown on experiments conon GT-4 follows. Radiation in Spacecraft - Th e objective of thiswas to determine the absorbed radiation

rate and the total dose that penetrated the cabinthe spacecraft.Available data indicates conclusively that there is nohazard associated with manned space operaat present Gemini altitudes. The principal exper

was the Research and Technology Division ofe Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland Air ForceNew Mexico. Simple Navigation - There were two basic goalsto this experiment. One was to gather inon the observable phenomenon which couldbest used for autonomous space navigation (that is,n horizon and celestial object examination) . The others to gather information on the use of a sextant-type

in an earth-orbiting vehicle in order to definee man-sextant-vehicle problems involved in the usethis type of instrument .for space navigation an dAvailable data indicates that this experiment provaluable information concerning the utility ofe Gemini spacecraft windows, the thickness of th ehorizons and their upper boundaries, and th eof man to make celestial sightings from an orbitThe principal experimenter was th e

and Technology Division, Air Force AvionicsWright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Electrostatic Charge - The objective was to deand measure any accumulated electrostatic chargeth e surface of a Gemini spacecraft during a typicalEvaluation of the data on this experiment will be

as they become available. The principal

experimenter is the Radiation an d Fields Branch, Advanced Spacecraft Technology Division, MannedSpacecraft Center. Proton-Electron Spectrometer - The objective ofthis experiment was to detect an d measure the flow

an d energy of protons and electrons present throughou t typical revolutions, and especially within the SouthAtlantic geomagnetic anomaly.Preliminary examination of the data recorded indicates that the proton flow and number of electronsencountered outside the anomaly was very low. Thisexperiment was also conducted for the Radiation andFields Branch of MSC. Tri-Axis Magnetometer - Th e objective of thisexperiment was to determine the magnitude and direction of the geomagnetic field in the South Atlantic

anomaly and to support the previously described Proton-Electron Spectrometer experiment with additionaldata.

Further analysis and comparison of data with thatfrom other flights must be made before final resultscan be determined. Two-Color Earth's Limb Photographs - The object of this experiment was to obtain photographs ofth e earth's limb in an effort to determine the excesselevation of the blue limb over the red. Postflight

measurements of the photographs were planned todetermine i f the elevation of the earth's limb can bea reliable aid in future manned space flight guidancean d navigation sightings.The results of this photography will be combined

with those taken on previous and later manned flights.The principal experimenter was the InstrumentationLaboratory, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Synoptic Terrain Photography - The objectivewas to obtain high-quality color photographs of terrain features for geological and geographic purposes.Pictures were taken of well known areas, such as theUnited States, which could serve as standards for interpretation of lesser known areas; and of remote areaswhich were poorly covered by photography previously.

This experiment was classified as a complete success. I t is anticipated that the photographs obtainedwill be of great value for geological studies. In addition to exhibiting good color, they include a widevariety of geological features such as mountain masses,volcanic fields, folded mountains and deserts. TheTheoretical Division, NASA Goddard Space FlightCenter, Greenbelt, Maryland, conducted this experiment.

Synoptic Weather Photography - The objectivewas to obtain high-quality color photographs of anumber of selected clouds and meteorologically interesting weather systems. Another objective was toobtain photographs of areas concurrently viewed bythe TIROS satellite in order to aid in interpretationof the high-altitude satellite television photographs.

This experiment was also classified as a complete


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success. More than 100 photographs were obtainedof cloud systems of all types. Th e experiment wasconducted by th e National Weather Satellite Center,U. S. Weather Bureau, Suitland, Maryland.

Inflight Exerciser - Th e objective was to assesscardiovascular reflex activity in response to a givenphysical workload and the general capacity of performing physical work under zero-g conditions. Th einflight exerciser consisted of a pair of rubber bungeecords attached to a handle at one end an d to a nylonstrap at the other. Exercise periods consisted of onepull pe r second for 30 seconds and 63 pounds of pullwere required to pull to a full extension.

Conclusions reached as a result of this experimentwere that exercise periods should be programmed inthe mission flight for both crew members an d thateach medical pass should include an exercise period.Th e experiment conducted by the Space MedicineBranch, Crew Systems Division, MSC.

Inflight Phonocardiogram - The objective was tomeasure th e time interval between th e electrical activation of the heart muscle and the onset of the muscular contraction of a man in space. This time interval

:.- - --:=

is a measure of the fatigue-state of the muscle and isused to provide insight into the functional cardiacstatus of the pilots during prolonged space flight.

Data on the results of this experiment are not available. This experiment was also conducted by M SC'sSpace Medicine Branch. Bone Demineralization - Objective of this experiment was to investigate the occurrence and degreeof any bone demineralization from prolonged space

flights. Such demineralization ha s been observed inhumans during periods of immobilization such as be drest and during other situations involving physical inactivity.Current analysis does not provide any conclusions,to date, on the results of this experiment. The experiment was conducted by the Nelda Childers Stark Laboratory for Human Nutrition Research, Texas Wo-men's University, Denton, Texas.

GT-4 OPERATIONAL CONTROLThe Gemini 4 flight marked the first time that a

manned space mission was controlled from the Mi ssion

GT -4 CONTROL was exercised fr om the ne w ly co mp leted Mi ssion Cont rol Cente r in Houston, Texas , f rom liftoff through recovery . Th is view of theCo ntrol Roo m was ta ken minutes after the start of the flight . The po si t ion of the spacecraf t a t tha t ti me ca n b e seen on th e ma p located in thefr o nt center of th e room .


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FLIGHT DIRECTORS for the Gemini 4 mission are shown around the Flight Director's console in the con trol roo m. Left to righ t, f ron t, Eugene Kranz,Flight Director of the Wh ite Tea m ; a nd Christophe r C. Kraft Jr ., Flight Director of the Red Team . Kra ft also served as Mission Directo r of the GT -4fl igh t . Standing , left to right, ar e Glynn Lunney, Flight Director at Mission Control Center a t Cape Kennedy du ring the pre-l a unch countdown an dthe launch phase ; a nd Joh n Hodge, Flight Director of th e Blue Team .

Control Center in Houston, Texas. This facility provedbeyond any doubt that it is operationally qualified totake over such control following the launch at CapeKennedy, Florida.In addition, the duration of the Gemini flight required that flight controllers go on a three-shift basisfor the first time. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Assistant

Director of Manned Spacecraft Center for Flight Operations, served during GT-4 in a dual capacity - bothas Mission Director and Flight Director. Th e othertwo flight directors for GT-4 were Eugene Kranz andJohn Hodge.

Other posi t ions in the Mission Control Roommanned by key personnel on an around-the-clock basiswere Assistant Flight Director, Operations and Procedures Officer, Spacecraft Communicator, Guidanceand Navigation System Engineer; Electrical, Environmental, and Communications Engineer; Flight Dynamics Officer, Retrofire Controller, Guidance Officer, Net work Controllers, and Flight Surgeons.In addition to the personnel required to ma n thesepositions, there were approximately 250 additional

NASA and contractor employees named to specialassignments in Mission Control Center as requiredsupport personnel.To further add to the burden placed on the con-

trollers, there was an added requirement to have a teamof flight controllers at the Mission Control Center atCape Kennedy, Florida, during the countdown an dlaunch phases of activities. Gylnn Lunney was flightdirector of this team .

Other flight controllers were stationed at sites aroundthe world for necessary activities. Command Communicators, Systems Engineers, and Flight Surgeonswere located at Grand Canary Island; Carnarvon, Australia; Kauai, Hawaii; Corpus Christi, Texas; Guaymas, Mexico; and on two tracking ships in th e Pacific - the COASTAL SENTRY and the ROSEKNOT.

Speaking of the operation of the Control Centerduring the postflight news conference, Dr. Muellersaid, in part, " . . I'd like to particularly complimentthe people in Mission Control Center for an outstanding operation - this is the first time that Control hasbeen from this site - and it was as smooth an operation as I have seen ."THE PILOTS

Both members of the Gemini 4 flight crew wereamong the group of astronauts named by NASA inSeptember 1962.James A. McDivitt, the command pilot, was bornin Chicago, Illinois, June 10, 1929. McDivitt is five


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,3 / ~ 3 U ~ / ~ L- (feet-11 inches tall, weig , s 155 pounds, and has brownhair and blue eyes. He is married to the formerPatricia Ann Haas of Cleveland, Ohio, and they havethree children - Michael, 8; Ann Lynn, 7; and Patric,5. McDivitt's parents, Mr. and Mrs. James McDivitt,live in Jackson, Michigan.He attended Jackson Junior College from 1948 to1950, then joined the Air Force in 1951. During the

Korean action, McDivitt flew 145 combat missions inF-BO's and F-B6's and was awarded three DistinguishedFlying Crosses, five Air Medals, and the Choo MooMedal from South Korea.

McDivitt attended the University of Michigan an dwas graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering. He is also a graduateof the Air Force Experimental Test Pilot School an dthe Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot Course. Priorto his selection by NASA, he served at Edwards AirForce Base, California, as a test pilot.

He is a member of the Society of Experimental TestPilots and the American Institute of Aeronautics andAstronautics. He has logged more than 3,000 hoursflying time, including more than 2,500 hours in je taircraft.

Th e pilot, Edward H. White II, was born in Sa nAntonio, Texas, November 14, 1930. He is six feet tall,weighs 171 pounds, and has brown hair and browneyes. White is married to the former Patricia EileenFinegan of Washington, D.C., and they have two children - Edward, 12, an d Bonnie Lynn, 9. White's parents, Maj. Gen. (retired) and Mrs. Edward H. White,reside at St. Petersburg, Florida.

White received a Bachelor of Science degree fromthe United States Military Academy in 1952, and received a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1959.

He is also a graduate of the Air Force Test PilotSchool. Prior to becoming an astronaut, he was assigned at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, asan experimental test pilot with the Aeronautical Systems Division.

White is a member of the Institute of AerospaceSciences; a member of Sigma Delta Psi, athletic honorary; and a member of Tau Beta Pi, engineeringhonorary. He has logged more than 3,600 hours flying time, including more than 2,200 hours in je t aircraft.

THE GEMINI 4 FLIGHT CREW - pilot Edward H. White II, left, an d command pilot James A. McDivitt.

Documents

Gemini 4 Flight