Floating over to Agena VIII, he would retrieve experiment samples. After releasing their own Agena, Young would maneuver Gemini X close to Agena VIII and Collins would perform his second spacewalk lasting about 90 minutes. Collins would perform a stand-up spacewalk from the Gemini’s hatch to conduct photography experiments. Shortly after, they would fire the Agena’s engine to raise the docked spacecraft’s altitude and fire it a second time to set up for a rendezvous with the Gemini VIII Agena, in orbit since March 1966 and no longer functioning. Young and Collins would dock their Gemini spacecraft with the Agena target on their fourth revolution. The flight plan called for Gemini X to launch about 90 minutes after the Agena X docking target vehicle and confirmation that the target had achieved the correct orbit. On July 2, Young and Collins, along with their backups Bean and Williams, described their planned three-day mission to reporters during a press conference at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Young, left, and Michael Collins, and theīackup crew of Alan L. Right: Preflight press conference with the Left: Collins practices using the Hand-Held Maneuvering Unit during his spacewalk Williams as the new Gemini X backup crew. Bassett, on March 21 NASA assigned Alan L. With the reshuffling of crews following the deaths on Feb. Young and spaceflight rookie Michael Collins as the prime crew for Gemini X, with Gemini VII veteran James A. In January 1966, NASA named Gemini 3 veteran John W. The goals of the three-day Gemini X mission included docking with one target vehicle, conducting a rendezvous with a second target, and performing two spacewalks. The first seven Gemini missions in 1965 and early 1966 demonstrated the spacecraft’s space worthiness, the feasibility of spacewalking, extended flight durations to 14 days, and demonstrated space rendezvous and docking techniques. Additional goals of Gemini included proving that astronauts could work outside their spacecraft during spacewalks and ensuring that spacecraft and astronauts could function for at least eight days, then considered the minimum time for a roundtrip mission to the Moon. Paramount among those techniques was rendezvous and docking, required to implement the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous method NASA chose for the Moon landing missions. Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the 1960s. The primary goals of Project Gemini included proving the techniques required for the Apollo Program to fulfill President John F.
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