Thursday, June 18, 1992

Gemini 9A

  1966-047A


After the loss of TDA 5 during launch, the GTA-9 mission was redesigned to use the ATDA (TDA 4) satellite. The rescoped mission was designated GTA-9A.

The rendezvous sequence introduced a corrective combination maneuver which adjusted orbit height, phasing and plane all at once.

A second rendezvous with ATDA used a passive approach with an equiperiod orbit. The third rendezvous used a coelliptic method with approach from above.

On this mission the ELSS was a new model with enhanced capability.

On Jun 5 at 1502 Cernan opened the hatch, set up cameras and mirrors, and deployed the EVA handrails. Next he moved to the Adapter Module. The test of the AMU was cancelled when he became exhausted and his visor fogged. He worked at the AMU work station, and then returned to the cabin at 1648. At 1710 the hatch was closed and the cabin repressurized after a 2 hr 7 min EVA. It was decided not to jettison the AMU from the adapter as originally planned.

Splashdown was at 27 52 N, 75 00 04 W in the Atlantic.


GTA-9A 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1966 Jun 3  1339:33  Launch  
 1342:04  T+2:31 BECO 64 km  -5943 x 125 x 28.6  
 1342:04 Stage 1 sep 
 1345:12  T+5:39 SECO Orbit insertion  158.5 x 236.7 x 28.8 
 1345:30  Stage 2 sep, tailoff 31m/s   
 1345:30  IVAR burn 10m/s  159 x 270 x 28.8 
 1346:12  IVAR OAMS off 
 1350:30  Window covers jettison 
 1428:38  Phase adjust 22m/s 1:39 230 x 270 x 28.8 
 1534:50  NCC Corrective combination 4.5m/s 19s 
 1604:24  NSR Coelliptic, apo 2 16m/s 1:11  274 x 276 x 28.8 
 1700  Tally ho ATDA 
 1715:25  TPI 
 1745  Braking at 2 km 294 x 298 x 28.8 
 1746  At 1km, 6m/s R-dot 
 1750  At 180m, 1m/s 
 1753  At 35m 
 1754:33  Rendezvous-1 with ATDA 
  Flyaround inspection 
 1840:33  Sep burn 6m/s 35s 294 x 302 x 28.8 
 1924  HA burn 
 1934  burn 11m/s 
 1954:45  TPI Burn  
 2000  At 1.5 km? 
 2009  At 1 km 
 2013:31 Braking 
 2015  Rendezvous 2 with ATDA at 30m  296 x 296 x 28.8 
 2054:31  Sep burn 1m/s 6s  289 x 296 x 28.8 
1966 Jun 4  0802:52  Phase adjust 6m/s 3s  289 x 309 x 28.8 
 0847:49s Ht Adjust 5m/s 22s 
 0934:00  NSR circ 4m/s 25s  307 x 309 x 28.8 
 1042:01  TPI 
 1059  At 5 km  
 1107:30  Braking 
 1115?  Rendezvous 3 with ATDA  295 x 298 x 28.8 (MSC) 
 1121  Reported rendezvous 3 with ATDA 
 1130  At 30m 
 1206  ATDA shake test fails to free nose 
 1221  At 1 m 
 1224  Begin drift away 
 1238:33  Sep burn 1m/s 292 x 298 x 28.8 (MSC) 
1966 Jun 5  1457  Begin depress 
 1459  Cabin depressurized 
 1502:25  HO 
 1503  PLT SEVA 
 1504:00 Jettison EVA bag 1kg (left aft foot well pouch) 
 1506?  Cernan egress 
 1506  PLT to AM 
 1507  S-12 retrieve 
 1507  S-12 housing jettison 
 1508  Set up handrails, movie camera 
 1524 PLT to AM 
 1530 PLT near cabin 
 1534  AMU thermal cover jettison 
 1550 PLT at AM 
 1610  PLT in AMU 
 1643  AMU test cancelled 
 1645? Tether discarded 
 1651  PLT back near cabin 
 1659  PLT ingress 
 1709  HC 
 1710  Repress 
 1920  31s 8m/s Retro phasing burn  270 x 291 x 28.8 
   267 x 290 x 28.9 (MR) 
1966 Jun 6  1325:23  Adapter module sep 
 1326:17  Retrofire 90 aft, 38 down 
 1327:30? Retro module sep 
 1331:00? 264 km  -25? x 290? x 28.9  
 1346?  122 km  -23? x 306? x 28.9 
 1400:23  Splashdown 
 1445?  Recovered by USS Wasp 

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