Gemini Paraglider Research Vehicle 1-A with Wing

From 1962 to 1964, NASA used the Paresev to develop the technology for landing the two-man Gemini capsule on land, instead of parachuting into the ocean. The Paresev was towed by a ground vehicle or a small aircraft and released at an altitude between 5,000 and 12,000 feet. Ultimately, however, these tests paved the way to testing the larger paraglider, but NASA ultimately decided to use parachutes to recover the Gemini spacecraft.