Gemini: We can rebuild it, we have the technology

[mrmorris]

No to the second at least. Real life intruded and I haven't had time to devote to this thread (or any Space.com thread for that matter). In any event -- the question I had when I started this has pretty well been answered -- to my satisfaction at least. Namely, I'm convinced that a capsule could be designed for the original spec Falcon V booster that would be capable of getting five people to orbit and back. With the V now being essentially a half-fueled IX, that question is pretty much moot. I can't see there being many reasons for using the V rather than upsizing the mission to a IX-class booster. A capsule designed for the IX would be a considerably different animal than what I worked on.<br /><br />Beyond that -- I specced out the design to the limits of the information available to me. I can't get the data on performance and cost of the various aspects of a potential craft to tighten up the design further. There are a few design elements that I 'know' would be incorporated into an modern capsule design, a number that I'm 'confident' would be, a great deal I 'believe' would be, and a host that I 'think might possibly' be. Then there were a few like the reaction-wheel system that I just thought were fun to discuss as a concept.<br /><br />As the thread progressed, more and more of the discussion was migrating to the aspects of the design that had the least certainty. The part I like best is working with real data -- especially the design studies from NASA -- so the trend towards increased speculation made the thread less fun.<br /><br />I do read the updates occasionally -- this is the first one I felt I ought to respond to.

 

[Boris_Badenov]

I have been keeping up on this thread almost from the beginning, I only now started to post on this board, & wanted to tell you that I think your design fantastic. It would be my vehicle of choice to win the ASP. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[publiusr]

At least we are hearing more on the Dragon capsule project.

 

[nacnud]

Really where? [I wana know <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> ]

 

[bamabuc]

I think this is a great idea. Building something based on Apollo, like the CEV, is a better idea, but Gemini would work too.

 

[Boris_Badenov]

" Bump" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

"bumpity, bump"

 

[MeteorWayne]

bumpity, bumpity, bumpity, bumpity bump, falling down the stairs. What would be the point of recreating Gemini?

At least going back to the moon makes some sense....

 

[aphh]

bumpity, bumpity, bumpity, bumpity bump, falling down the stairs. What would be the point of recreating Gemini?

At least going back to the moon makes some sense....

People recreate many things for many purposes. One skilled IT engineer recreated the Apollo flight computer from scratch using old blueprints and some code he was able to obtain. Took a few years, but the result worked just like the original.

Astronaut Farmer recreated the whole launch vehicle including Mercury capsule. Well, that might have been a movie, but still.

I have a feeling that if we tried to recreate Gemini, SpaceX would still give us run for our money with their Dragon design. Just a hunch, though.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Still, what would be the point of recreating a two man capsule?

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Still, what would be the point of recreating a two man capsule?

Read the thread!!! It's a design "based" on Gemini & upgraded to carry 5 people & be launched on the now "never to be built" Falcon 5. It was a fun thread.

 

[aphh]

Where can we get blueprints and parts list for Gemini? I think this would be a great science project, to recreate a functional spacecraft. The design works, so all we need to do is to make sure the build quality is as good as the original.

Sure it would not be economical, but does everything have to be?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Still, what would be the point of recreating a two man capsule?

Read the thread!!! It's a design "based" on Gemini & upgraded to carry 5 people & be launched on the now "never to be built" Falcon 5. It was a fun thread.

OK, you got me. I was just reacting to the title of a bumped, long dormant thread. Then again, if has 5 people, it wouldn't be called Gemini any more would it? Pentagon?

And I don't honestly have the time to read 29 pages of a 5 year old topic...

So shall withdraw and let those who are interested have some fun

 

[drwayne]

Gemini is an interesting program. Chronologically, it feel between Mercury and Apollo, but
from a design timeline, it actually falls after both Mercury and Apollo.

There are many from that time, and even now the believe that Gemini was a better spacecraft
that Apollo, because it was able to apply the lessons of Mercury, which Apollo was not as
able to do.

Wayne

p.s. I am sure I mumbled something along these lines a long time ago in this or some other thread.

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Bump.

 

[exoscientist]

In regards to a lightweight capsule perhaps you should consider the "Phoenix" capsule design from the University of Maryland:

Phoenix: A Low-Cost Commercial Approach to the Crew Exploration Vehicle.
http://www.nianet.org/rascal/forum2006/ ... _paper.pdf

It is was designed for 3 man crew, but with a cylindrical shape at a diameter of 3.6 meters and length of 3.1 meters it actually has higher volume than the 7 man crew capable SpaceX Dragon capsule. So you could increase the consumables to hold a 7 man crew.
It masses 3,288 kg including propellant for a 3 man crew and 12 day mission. You could probably estimate from the information given in the report how much you would have to increase the consumables for a 7 man crew, or decrease them for shorter missions.
BTW, this capsule was designed to do the task of the Orion CEV at a lighter weight so it's capable of cislunar missions, which explains why the designed mission duration is so high.


Bob Clark