1966-081A
After the M=1 rendezvous, thrusters were used to determine the total mass of the docked system (D-3 experiment). Next came docking practice. First the commander undocked to carry out the S-26 ion wake experiment, and carried out a second docking; then Gordon repeated the exercise twice more.
The umbilical EVA used a 9-meter umbilical (shorter than the GTA-10 one to make stowage easier). In the event only about 2 meters were deployed while Gordon was outside. During the EVA, Gordon retrieved the S-9 experiment, and attached the GATV tether to Gemini's nose. He unstowed the tether from its container on the TDA and looped it over Gemini's docking bar. He then attached a clamp to the bar keeping the tether in place. During this process, Gordon discovered the difficulty of anchoring an astronaut during spacewalks. He was unable to remain in place on the spacecraft and had to float freely hanging on to the Agena with one hand and attaching the tether with the other hand. Overheated and exhausted, he cut the EVA short. This experience eventually led to modern EVA practice of multiple tether attachment points and handholds.
Retrofire was 92m/s aft, 36m/s down. Splashdown was at 24 15 04 N, 70 W in the Atlantic.
| GTA-11 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 Sep 12 | 1442:26 | Launch | |
| 1445:00 | T+2:34 Stage 1 sep | -5943 x 122 x 29.6 | |
| 1447:38 | T+5:12 mark 0.8 | ||
| 1448:06 | T+5:40 SECO | ||
| 1448 | Orbit insertion | 160 x 253 x 29.0 | |
| 1448:26 | T+6:00 Stage 2 sep | 161 x 229 x 28.9 | |
| 1448:26 | 2s sep burn | ||
| 1448:56 | IVAR burn 53s (11.9, -0.3, 0.0)m/s | ||
| 1449:49 | IVAR complete | ||
| 1449:56 | radial burn 15s 1.7m/s down | ||
| 1450:11 | T+7:45 OAMS off | ||
| 1451:09 | T+8:43 Fairings jettisoned | ||
| 1454 | Window pane jettison | ||
| 88.92 160 x 276 x 28.85 | |||
| 1512:06 | Plane change | 88.92 160 x 276 x 28.85 | |
| 1532:24 | TPI | 90.44 279 x 307 x 28.85 | |
| 1546:07 | MCC1 | ||
| 1558:09 | MCC2 | ||
| 1600:07 | TPF | 90.55 285 x 302 x 28.85 | |
| 1606 | At 160m | ||
| 1607 | M=1 rendezvous with GATV 5006 | ||
| 1610 | Skeep at 15m | ||
| 1616:42 | Docked with TDA (Conrad) | ||
| 1637:55 | D-3 experiment; GT/Ag docked thrust | ||
| 1652 | Undocked | ||
| S-26 ion wake experiment | |||
| 1800 | At 23 m from Agena | ||
| 1801:46 | T+3:19:20 Docked | ||
| 1806 | Undocked for S-26 experiment | ||
| 1840 | Docked | ||
| 1911:14 | Plane change burn (docked PPS 3s) | 90.55 286 x 304 x 28.85 | |
| 2130 | Undocked for night docking practice (Gordon) | ||
| 2135 | Docked | ||
| 1966 Sep 13 | 1230? | PLT on ELSS for 10 min | |
| 1400? | PLT on ELSS | ||
| 1966 Sep 13 | 1435 | Cabin depress | |
| 1446:34 | HO | ||
| 1447 | PLT standing in hatch | ||
| 1448 | 2 garbage bags ejected | ||
| 1448 | Retrieve S-9 experiment | ||
| 1449 | Egress | ||
| 1449 | Attach camera | ||
| 1450? | Utility light filter jettisoned by CDR | ||
| 1452 | Attach tether from TDA to Gemini | ||
| 1459? | Return to hatch | ||
| 1507 | Resting standing in hatch | ||
| 1515? | EVA camera demounted | ||
| 1515? | Ingress | ||
| 1518 | Hatch closed (21m) | ||
| 1518:36 | Repress (33:54) | ||
| 1616 | In depress | ||
| 1618:44 | Depress complete | ||
| 1619:00 | Hatch open, eqpt. dump | ||
| Jettison ELSS | |||
| Jettison umbilical stowage bag with: | |||
| Jettison ELSS straps (2), Y connectors (2) | |||
| Jettison 10-m umbilical | |||
| Jettison debris cutter tool | |||
| Jettison camera cables and mount, wrist mirror | |||
| Jettison Apollo tank covers (2), lanyards | |||
| 1621:30? | Hatch closed | ||
| 1622:11 | Repress (03:27) | ||
| 1966 Sep 14 | 0712:46 | Ullage SPS burn, 68s, total 1:50? | |
| 1966 Sep 14 | 0714 | Raise apo 279.8 m/s (docked PPS 25s?) | 101.52 289 x 1373 x 28.85 |
| 1035:04 | Lower apo burn begins, SPS ullage 70s, PPS 25s total 1:48 | ||
| 1035:21 | Lower apo 278 m/s (docked PPS 22s) | 90.45 289 x 304 x 28.83 | |
| 1246 | Begin depress | ||
| 1248:37 | Depress | ||
| 1249 | Hatch open | ||
| PLT SEVA, S013 UV photos, S005 terrain photos | |||
| 1455 | PLT returns to seat | ||
| 1457 | Hatch closed (2:09) | ||
| 1458:30 | Repress (2:09:53) | ||
| 1637:26 | Undock from TDA, tether connected | ||
| Gravity gradient test not completed | |||
| 1655 | Rotation begun 38 deg/min | ||
| 1824 | Burn to 55 deg/min, slack in tether | ||
| 1940:26 | Gemini jettisoned tether | ||
| 2007:24 | Sep burn 2.7m/s, raise height | 90.47 288 x 306 x 28.82 | |
| 2119:54 | Lower height 11s, 2.7m/s standoff burn (range 30 km) | 90.41 283 x 303 x 28.83 | |
| (used as D-3 cal burn), mass 3357 kg | |||
| 1966 Sep 15 | 0809:48 | Intercept burn (TPI) | 90.33 274 x 300 x 28.84 |
| 0912:52 | MC1 | ||
| 0917:09 | Braking TPF | 90.45 288 x 304 x 28.83 | |
| 0922 | Rendezvous with TDA/Agena 5006 at 12m | ||
| 0934:57 | Sep burn 1m/s | 90.38 280 x 302 x 28.84 | |
| 1322:12 | AM sep | 283 x 300? | |
| 1324:02 | Retrofire 99.1m/s | ||
| 1325:27? | RM sep | ||
| 1344:13 | Entry 400K | -7 x 297 x 28.8 | |
| -13 x 289 x 28.83 | |||
| 1353:54 | Drogue parachute deploy 15 km | ||
| 1355:30 | Pilot parachute deploy | ||
| 1355:32 | R/R section sep, main parachute deploy | ||
| 1355:45 | Main parachute fully deployed | ||
| 1359:34 | Splashdown | ||
| 1425 | Recovered by USS Guam | ||
