SpaceQ Space news and analysis.

Gliding to a stop – the paraglider system

Marc Boucher February 17, 2022 History, News Leave a comment

Gemini TTV-1 Paraglider Capsule - This capsule is a full-scale Test Tow Vehicle (TTV) built to train Gemini astronauts in a landing procedure that ultimately was not used. At the start of the Gemini program in 1961, NASA considered having the two-man Gemini capsule land on a runway after its return from space, rather than parachute into the ocean. The controlled descent and landing would use an inflatable paraglider wing of the type invented by Francis Rogallo and NASA. Credit: Smithsonian Institution.

In this episode of the Terranauts podcast we are back to talking about the history of human spaceflight and we finally get project Gemini out of the starting gate.

When we left the project it was off to a “fast, clean start” under project manager Jim Chamberlin. It was not to last. In the first year of its existence, project Gemini would actually get no closer to launching a spacecraft, and Jim Chamberlin would be replaced as project manager. There were a lot of reasons for the struggle, including a major budget crisis in the fall of 1962. We’ll talk about that today. We’ll also talk about the one major challenge that Gemini never did overcome – the paraglider system.

Listen in.

Tags Gemini Program NASA Paraglider System Podcast Terranauts

About Marc Boucher

Boucher is an entrepreneur, writer, editor & publisher. He is the founder of SpaceQ Media Inc. and Executive Vice President, Content of SpaceNews. Boucher has 25+ years working in various roles in the space industry and a total of 30 years as a technology entrepreneur including creating Maple Square, Canada's first internet directory and search engine.