Two Weeks In A Can

"f86sabre" (f86sabre) 02/21/2016 at 21:38 • Filed to: Spacelopnik, Gemini

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I have previously expressed my admiration for Project Gemini. So much important science and many critical processes came out of that program. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Now imagine spending two weeks in there. Two weeks.

Just about everything you might want to know about the program can be found here...

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/c…

Chariotoflove > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 21:43

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And you have to make sure you don’t bump any of those switches by accident. But oh the view!

f86sabre > Chariotoflove 02/21/2016 at 21:45

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Or loose anything under your seat.

I like the Cutter John avatar by the way.

DarkCreamyBeer > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 21:45

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14 days in a Gemini capsule is flat out one of man’s greatest accomplishments. Wikipedia block quote (describing Gemini 7):

As part of the in-flight medical experiments, the crew were required to collect and save some of their bodily wastes for post-flight analysis, a task they described as less-than-enjoyable. The urine collection device proved particularly difficult and unpleasant to use, especially because of its habit of leaking urine, which happened several times during the flight. Borman suggested afterwards that a tube and valve mechanism be added to the spacecraft to simply release urine into space, an idea that would be realized on the Apollo command module.

DarkCreamyBeer > DarkCreamyBeer 02/21/2016 at 21:47

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Lovell and Borman also get credit for enduring this terrible mission portrait:

Chariotoflove > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 21:47

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And those seats don’t look comfy enough for two hours, let alone two weeks.

Thanks. I keep the photon torpedo launchers under MY seat. ;)

DarkCreamyBeer > Chariotoflove 02/21/2016 at 21:50

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Well most of the time they were in microgravity, so cushioning doesn't matter much, but there were cushions.

f86sabre > Chariotoflove 02/21/2016 at 21:51

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The thing that helped a little was that in orbit you don't really get pressure points like a normal seat.

Dr Emilio Lizardo > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 21:51

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I’ve seen Genini and Apollo capsules at museums with the interior exposed. It’s amazing that two or three people could fly cross country in that space without killing each other, much less spend days on end in there.

f86sabre > DarkCreamyBeer 02/21/2016 at 21:52

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Urine would suck. Don't even want to think about dropping a deuce.

McMike > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 21:53

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“Anybody that goes up in the damn thing is gonna be Spam in a can.”

f86sabre > McMike 02/21/2016 at 21:54

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No bucks. No Buck Rogers.

McMike > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 21:56

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Fuckin-a, bubba,

DarkCreamyBeer > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 21:59

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I just read about the Gemini 6 launch abort (for lack of a better term) on Dec 12, 1965. These guys really did have guts.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_6A…

Gemini at least was slightly better thought out than Mercury, but the fact that no one died in either vehicle is attributed to mostly good luck and talented operators, if you ask me.

The Transporter > McMike 02/21/2016 at 22:01

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Hey Ridley, got any Beeman’s?

ttyymmnn > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 22:04

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Wow! That really is small!

McMike > The Transporter 02/21/2016 at 22:07

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Yeah, I think I got me a stick.

The Transporter > McMike 02/21/2016 at 22:10

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Loan me some, will ya? I’ll pay you back later.

Chariotoflove > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 22:13

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That would be essential.

McMike > The Transporter 02/21/2016 at 22:14

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“Fair Enough”

Chariotoflove > DarkCreamyBeer 02/21/2016 at 22:16

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I was thinking more of positioning. Those seats don't look too adjustable. And cushioning would still matter, I think, to keep them from rubbing up against edges that could press in. But, yeah, no gravity makes a difference.

Chariotoflove > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 22:19

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Cause it wouldn’t drop. Botch collection, and you’re flying with Mr. Hanky as copilot.

swaptastic > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 22:24

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Was there any talk of reducing risk of blood clots? I assume sitting for two weeks would really put someone at risk of developing one.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > ttyymmnn 02/21/2016 at 22:38

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It's like a spaceship for ants.

ttyymmnn > f86sabre 02/21/2016 at 23:37

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Is this the tally of their days in orbit? Looks like they were pretty happy to have gotten to the last day.

f86sabre > swaptastic 02/22/2016 at 08:16

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I’m not sure how much they know about that back then. Also the dynamics of being weightless impacts things.

f86sabre > ttyymmnn 02/22/2016 at 08:17

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I think so

X37.9XXS > f86sabre 02/22/2016 at 09:17

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There was something so satisfying about flicking toggle switches

I really miss it