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
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