Why NASA Abandoned the Gemini Rogallo Wing

Splashdowns are iconic of the Apollo era. From the first suborbital Mercury flight, the image of a capsule hitting the water became synonymous with the triumphant end of a mission. But even though splashdowns became part of America’s identity of its space agency, they weren’t NASA’s favoured way to end a mission. When you consider the astronauts were among the most skilled test pilots in the country, it seems odd that they were passively pulled from the ocean like wet rats. Splashdowns came from the initial decision to pursue capsule-style spacecraft, but they turned out to be complicated, expensive, and dangerous. Between 1961 and 1965, NASA spent 165 million dollars — more than 2.1 billion adjusted for inflation — trying to land the second-generation Gemini spacecraft on a runway using the Rogallo Wing.

In late 1958, when NASA was newly created and the United States was starting to plan its first human spaceflight program, it fell to the Space Task Group within NASA to figure out what form spacecraft would take. There were different options on the table. Some were aircraft-inspired options — an orbital variant of the rocket-powered X-15 was technologically within reach, and the one-man shuttle-like DynaSoar was also under development. On the other end of the aerodynamic spectrum were capsule-shaped spacecraft inspired by research on nuclear warheads.

In the 1950s, engineers working with nuclear warheads had a unique challenge: getting the bombs to detonate on their targets and not from friction with the atmosphere as they fell to Earth. Max Faget, an engineer with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ Langley Research Centre, led some of this research. His team found that a blunt, rounded shape created a cushion of air that, when coupled with an ablative heat shield, protected the warhead as it fell. Replacing the warhead with a human, they quickly realized, was a simple way to bring an astronaut back from orbit. This prospect was so intriguing that in March of 1958, the NACA and ARPA (the precursor organization to DARPA) undertook a joint study of whether ballistic capsules could be man-rated. Their research, in conjunction with industry contractors, determined that blunt capsules were a viable way to fast-track a man into space. When the NACA…

Related posts:

Should Traders be compensated for Execution-(Anyway the brokers takes a lot in commission in every trade)? Should Traders be compensated Profit or Lesson learnt-(it takes beyond a will power to…

With a newfound fury, Luke drives and bodies Zach. The meaning behind this game goes deeper than a 1v1. As Luke shoots his final shot all Zach can do is stand there and watch. The game has ended and…

Positive and meaningful UX is something that everyone is looking for as it makes your users loyal to the product or brand, which is the goal of every company. Users are the central and basic notion…