Operations
Each ATV consisted of an Agena-D derivative upper rocket stage built by Lockheed and a docking adapter built by McDonnell. The Agena was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 on top of an Atlas booster built by the Convair division of General Dynamics. The Agena first burn would occur shortly after shroud jettison and separation from the Atlas over the Atlantic Ocean. Over Ascension Island, a second burn would place the Agena into a low circular orbit.
The McDonnell Gemini spacecraft would then be launched from Launch Complex 19, as soon as 90 minutes later. Both countdowns would proceed in parallel and required close synchronization. The Gemini would rendezvous and dock with the Agena as soon as Gemini's first orbit toward the end of the program.
The Gemini astronauts would then fly the combined spacecraft in a stabilized mode and perform a number of experiments:
- Using the Agena's attitude control system to stabilize the combination, which saved the Gemini's propellants
- Extra-vehicular activity to perform practice work on a tool panel. This required installing handrails on later flights to prevent excessive astronaut exertion.
- Refiring the Agena engine to raise the spacecraft's apogee. Gemini 11 reached a record of 739.2 nautical miles (1,369.0 km). The modified Bell 8247 engine was qualified for up to 15 restarts.
- Undocking, unreeling a 50-foot (15 m) nylon tether between the capsule and the Agena and flying in a "dumbbell" configuration with the Agena below the astronauts, to check the gravitational effect on the formation stability in uncontrolled mode. This technique is now known as Gravity-gradient stabilization.
- Using a similar tether and a few thruster bursts to rotate the two craft around each other as an early test of artificial gravity.
- After rendezvous with its own ATV, Gemini 10 performed a second rendezvous with the ATV from Gemini 8.
After the Gemini capsule separated for the last time, the Agena remained in orbit for a short time and was used to verify the command system.
Read more about this topic: Agena Target Vehicle
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