By: James Phommaxay, Andrew Fazekas, and Nick Chase.

By: James Phommaxay, Andrew Fazekas, and Nick Chase

Warm-up In 3-5 sentences write what you know about the three main space missions. To refresh your mind, the three we are talking about are Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.

Objectives Understand the three different space missions and what they did throughout their time.

Project Mercury Initiated in 1958, completed in 1963 Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program.

Mercury Objectives The objectives of the program was to Orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth To investigate man's ability to function in space To recover both man and spacecraft safely

Requirements for Spacecraft The spacecraft must be fitted with a reliable launch-escape system to separate the spacecraft and its crew from the launch vehicle in case of impending failure. The pilot must be given the capability of manually controlling spacecraft attitude. The spacecraft must carry a retrorocket system capable of reliably providing the necessary impulse to bring the spacecraft out of orbit. A zero-lift body utilizing drag braking would be used for reentry. The spacecraft design must satisfy the requirements for a water landing.

Project Mercury Astronauts Lieutenant Commander Alan Shepard (U.S. Navy) Captain Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom (U.S. Air Force) Captain Leroy G. (Gordon) Cooper (U.S. Air Force) Lieutenant Commander Walter M. Schirra (U.S. Navy) Captain Donald K. (Deke) Slayton (U.S. Air Force) Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn (U.S. Marine Corps) Lieutenant Malcolm S. (Scott) Carpenter (U.S. Navy) Top row (L-R): Shepard, Grissom, Cooper Bottom row (L-R): Schirra, Slayton, Glenn, Carpenter

Mercury Spacecraft one-shaped one-man capsule with a cylinder mounted on top. The blunt end was covered with an ablative heat shield to protect it against the 3,000 degree heat of entry into the atmosphere. The dimension of it were 6.5 feet long and 6.2 feet in diameter.

Video Discussion

Project Gemini The second U.S. manned space program that was announced in January 1962.

Project Gemini - Goal To subject two men and supporting equipment to long duration flights -- a requirement for projected later trips to the moon or deeper space. To perfect methods of entering the atmosphere and landing at a preselected point on land. To rendezvous and dock with orbiting vehicles and to maneuver the docked combination by using the target vehicle's propulsion system To gain additional information concerning the effects of weightlessness on crew members and physiological reactions of crew members during long duration flights. To provide the astronauts with zero-gravity, rendezvous, and docking experience required for Apollo

Project Gemini Spacecraft 5.8 meters long 3 meters in diameter 3180 kilograms (8400 pounds) It was designed as a two-man spacecraft

Gemini Astronauts The Sixteen Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Frank Borman, Charles 'Pete' Conrad, Jr, James A. Lovell, Jr, James A. McDivitt, Elliot M. See, Thomas J. Stafford, Edward H. White II, and John W.Young

Video Discussion

Apollo The Apollo program was the third human spaceflight program by NASA.

Apollo Objectives To establish the technology to meet other national interests in space. To achieve preeminence in space for the United States To carry out a program of scientific exploration of the Moon To develop man's capability to work in the lunar environment.

Apollo Spacecraft Command Module - designed to carry three astronauts from launch to lunar orbit and back to an Earth ocean landing. 11.42 feet tall 12.83 feet in diameter 12,250 pounds Service Module it supported the command Module, with a service propulsion engine and an RCS with propellants, and a fuel cell power generation system with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen reactants. 24.6 feet long 12.83 feet in diameter Weighed just over 54,000 pounds

Apollo Spacecraft Landing on the Moon Lunar Module - was designed to descend from lunar orbit to land two astronauts on the Moon and take them back to orbit to rendezvous with the Command Module (Neil Armstrongs crew was the first to actually do the lunar landing and walk on the moon on their mission, making Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon.)

Video Discussion

Ending Question In 3-5 sentences explain the differences and the goals of the three space missions.

By: James Phommaxay, Andrew Fazekas, and Nick Chase.

Documents

man spacecraft slide

apollo slide

mercury spacecraft

carpenter slide

young slide

project gemini spacecraft

manned spacecraft

spacecraft attitude