Blue Gemini[1] was aUnited States Air Force (USAF) project first proposed in August 1962 for a series of seven flights ofGemini spacecraft to enable the Air Force to gain crewed spaceflight experience prior to the launch of the Manned Orbital Development System, or MODS. The plan was to use off-the-shelf Gemini spacecraft.
It began as theMilitary Orbital Development System, created by the US Air ForceSpace Systems Division (SSD) in June 1962.[2][3]
Blue Gemini would consist of twoNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions which would include a USAF co-pilot and would accomplish NASA objectives. These would be followed by two more NASA missions that would have USAF crews. Those missions would be devoted to NASA goals, but would include USAF experiments if possible. The final phase of Blue Gemini would consist of three dedicated USAF missions. One of these would be anAgena Target Vehicle rendezvous mission. It was possible that some of these later missions would carry only a single crew member, the other seat being occupied by experimental equipment. Possible payloads included aManned Maneuvering Unit that would allow anastronaut to maneuver around thespacecraft, an advancednavigation system, an erectable structure, and a large ground mappingradar. The plan was to end Blue Gemini missions approximately four months before the debut of the MODSspace station.
Blue Gemini was canceled in January 1963 bySecretary of DefenseRobert McNamara after he decided that military experiments could be carried aboard some NASA missions,i.e.,Project Gemini. McNamara also canceled MODS at the same time. On 21 January 1963 McNamara and NASA AdministratorJames Webb agreed to create a Gemini Program Planning Board, "to avoid duplication of effort in the field of manned space flight and to insure maximum attainmentof objectives of value to both the NASA and DOD."[4]
In December 1963 McNamara approved the development of aManned Orbital Laboratory (MOL) which was essentially a revived MODS. Blue Gemini should not be confused with theGemini B spacecraft that was developed for MOL. Gemini B included a tunnel through its heat shield to enable theastronauts to reach the MOL spacecraft.
Because Blue Gemini was a paper project that was canceled before NASA started any Gemini flights, no Blue Gemini hardware was constructed. A test article on display at theNational Museum of the United States Air Force atWright-Patterson AFB,Ohio is theGemini B spacecraft, recognized by its distinctive "US Air Force" written on the side, and the circular hatch cut through the heat shield.[5]
TheBlue Gemini trilogy of novels (Blue Gemini,Blue Darker Than Black, andPale Blue) by Mike Jenne describe a fictional "Aerospace Support Project" which used a modified version of the Gemini spacecraft to execute military IIK (Intercept-Inspect-Kill) missions against Soviet satellites suspected of carrying nuclear weapons.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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