Unlike the Mercury and Apollo spacecraft, which had rocket-powered "escape towers" to pull the capsule away from the booster in an emergency, the two-man Gemini used ejection seats to allow the astronauts to escape. These ejections seats had to function prior to launch, while sitting on the launch pad, and through 100,000 ft. and when the spacecraft was traveling at a velocity many times the speed of sound. A rocket motor made by Rocket Power, Inc., of Mesa, Arizona, powered the ejection seat, which was made by Weber Aircraft of Burbank, California.
These seats were probably used in training Gemini astronauts. Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), which built and operated simulators, delivered them to the Smithsonian for NASA in 1968.
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
Type
SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Parts & Structural Components
Manufacturer
Weber Aircraft Corp.
Dimensions
Storage (Aluminum pallet and frame with fabric enclosure): 121.9 × 121.9 × 170.2cm, 65.3kg (48 × 48 × 67 in., 144lb.)
Overall: 61 × 137.2 × 68.6cm (24 × 54 × 27 in.)
Materials
Aluminum, Steel, Paint, Copper, Rubber (silicone)
Inventory Number
A19690023001
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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