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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