America's Greatest Projects - Project Gemini

In America’s Greatest Projects - Project Gemini, you'll learn ...

• The objectives of Project Gemini and its importance in the progression of American manned space flight
• The contributions of the many engineers who worked on Project Gemini both on the ground and in outer space
• The advantages of the Titan II launch vehicle over the Atlas launch vehicle
• The events and achievements of American engineers and scientists in their attempt to surpass the Soviet Union in the “Space Race”

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 4 PDH

Length: 42 pages

Following Gordon Cooper’s flight in Faith 7, Alan Shepard and the other astronauts pushed for a six-day Mercury-Atlas 10 (MA-10) endurance mission. This would have given America the lead in the Space Race over the Soviet Union for the first time in manned space flight, and would also have met the planned biological objectives of America’s next phase of space travel. The MA-10 capsule had already been modified for the long-duration flight, and Shepard had painted Freedom 7 II on the side. While a significant debate ensued, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officials decided that the Mercury Project, which had sent six American engineers into space, had fulfilled its goals and met most of its objectives. MA-10 never flew, and the time had come to move on to the second phase of America’s space flight program, Project Gemini.

The members of this project had the responsibility for placing the first pair of American astronauts into outer space in preparation for a lunar landing. This course details the contributions of the many engineers who performed their duties both on the ground and in outer space. It also describes in detail the events and achievements of American engineers and scientists in their attempt to far surpass the Soviet Union in the “Space Race” by placing a man on the Moon and assuring his safe return.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain why a bridge project was necessary after President Kennedy committed the United States to landing a person on the Moon and returning safely to Earth by the end of the 1960s.
• Describe how the NASA team responded to pressure created by early Soviet dominance in the Space Race.
• Explain how the United States progressed from a single-pilot module to a two-person spacecraft.
• Summarize how each step in Project Gemini contributed to achieving the United States' lunar-landing goal.
• Describe how astronaut and engineer training and experience prepared the team to pursue the mission.
• Explain why the functions of each Gemini flight were critical to preparing the United States for a lunar landing.
• Identify how strong leadership and effective engineering management contributed to the project's outcome.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 25 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.