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Description
These photos are for fellow DA *jbak. Hope to meet you in Jan!

This is a display of Gene Cernan's Gemini IX EVA suit and the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit at the Kansas Cosmosphere.

The Gemini IX flight was a little "star crossed". First their Agena docking vehicle booster became unstable and blew up a few minutes after launch. A new docking apparatus was cobbled together since it would be awhile until a new agena vehicle could be built. This docking unit was called the ATDA, Augmented Target Docking Adapter. The ATDA was launched and placed in orbit sucessfully on an Atlas booster. When Gemini IX rendezvoused w/ the ATDA, they found the the nosecone shroud had not been separated and was held together by a band. This was dubbed "The Angry Alligator" due to it's appearance. The docking was scrubbed.

Cernan was supposed to egress the right seat of the Gemini and spacewalk back to the adapter section aft of the crew module. He was to disconnect himself from the umbilical line and connect himself to the AMU, and fly off into space separate from the Gemini.

Note the metallic looking outer portion of the suit legs designed to protect it from the AMU's maneuvering jet exhaust stream.

Since spacewalking was very new, it was not understood how difficult it could be without proper restraints to keep the astronaut stableduring work. Remember F=MA, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Cernan got so hot and sweaty that he completly fogged his visor up and was not able to propely function. After much difficulty he was able to find his way out of the AMU and back to the Gemini and close the hatch. He was very dehydrated and close to passing out when he was able to get back in.

Cernan went on to be the LMP on Apollo 10 and was "The Last Man on the Moon" as the commander of the final lunar mission, Apollo 17.

Description
These photos are for fellow DA *jbak. Hope to meet you in Jan!

This is a display of Gene Cernan's Gemini IX EVA suit and the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit at the Kansas Cosmosphere.

The Gemini IX flight was a little "star crossed". First their Agena docking vehicle booster became unstable and blew up a few minutes after launch. A new docking apparatus was cobbled together since it would be awhile until a new agena vehicle could be built. This docking unit was called the ATDA, Augmented Target Docking Adapter. The ATDA was launched and placed in orbit sucessfully on an Atlas booster. When Gemini IX rendezvoused w/ the ATDA, they found the the nosecone shroud had not been separated and was held together by a band. This was dubbed "The Angry Alligator" due to it's appearance. The docking was scrubbed.

Cernan was supposed to egress the right seat of the Gemini and spacewalk back to the adapter section aft of the crew module. He was to disconnect himself from the umbilical line and connect himself to the AMU, and fly off into space separate from the Gemini.

Note the metallic looking outer portion of the suit legs designed to protect it from the AMU's maneuvering jet exhaust stream.

Since spacewalking was very new, it was not understood how difficult it could be without proper restraints to keep the astronaut stableduring work. Remember F=MA, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Cernan got so hot and sweaty that he completly fogged his visor up and was not able to propely function. After much difficulty he was able to find his way out of the AMU and back to the Gemini and close the hatch. He was very dehydrated and close to passing out when he was able to get back in.

Cernan went on to be the LMP on Apollo 10 and was "The Last Man on the Moon" as the commander of the final lunar mission, Apollo 17.