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This drogue parachute slowed down the Gemini VIII spacecraft before the main parachute landed it in the ocean. Gemini VIII was launched on March 16, 1966, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott. They rendezvoused and docked with an unmanned Agena vehicle launched earlier the same day, the first space docking in history. Shortly after docking, one of the Gemini's attitude control thrusters malfunctioned. The crew undocked from the Agena, but the spacecraft began to roll wildly, eventually reaching one revolution per second. Armstrong and Scott used the Re-entry Control System to stop the roll; mission rules then forced them to make an emergency landing in the Pacific less than twelve hours into a three-day mission. A U.S. Navy destroyer recovered the crew and spacecraft and this parachute.

NASA transferred the parachute to the Smithsonian in 1970.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type EQUIPMENT-Parachutes Manufacturer Northrop Ventura
 Dimensions Approximate: 7.62 x 203.2 x 203.2cm (3in. x 6ft 8in. x 6ft 8in.)
Storage (Rehoused in PSC with 3 other parachutes): 75.3kg, 115.6 × 123.2 × 68.6cm (166lb., 45 1/2 in. × 48 1/2 in. × 27 in.)
 Materials Nylon, Synthetic Fabric, Adhesive, Steel, Paper, Aluminum, Paint, Rubber
 Inventory Number A19731157000 Credit Line Transferred from the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.