![]() ![]() To illustrate how average images of this sequence look, I also have added another set that shows roughly the same detail, such as thicker upper-end and some albedo variations. The image above is the best from the video-sequence. Even differences in thickness of the Agena can be recognized clearly from that distance. To my surprise, the best frames clearly showed the shape and even more. Ten Gemini crews and 16 individual astronauts flew low Earth orbit (LEO) missions during 19. The Gemini spacecraft carried a two-astronaut crew. Conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, Gemini started in 1961 and concluded in 1966. But the Agena is a pretty long shaped rocket stage, so I hoped to see at least the elongated appearance. Project Gemini ( IPA: / dmni /) was NASA 's second human spaceflight program. ![]() It is not an easy object to photograph: brightness was at the limit for high-resolution imaging with my setup and an upper stage at 818 kilometers distance is pretty small. It wasn’t until October 2014 that I processed these three year old images of 50 year old rockets. The Agena display panel is clearly visible as is glow from Agenas primary. Over the years I have developed better techniques and I knew in 2011 that my processing technique was developing and making progress. The Gemini 10 spacecraft is successfully docked with the Agena Target Vehicle. I captured the Agena in September 2011 with a 10 inch reflecting telescope on video. In 1966, Gemini-10 locked on to the Agena GATV-10 however, the statement that this was the first rendezvous in space is incorrect. Thanks to the considerable altitude, it is still in orbit after 50 years. Exactly at that altitude we find the old spent Agena upper stage from this launch. The two satellites were released at an alititude of around 800 kilometers. Their purpose was probably to test military spaceflight technology. On January 19, 1964, a Thor Agena D SLV-2 rocket lifted up from the Vandenberg SLC2W complex with the two military satellites OPS 3367A and OPS 3367B. The Agena rocket in the picture is pretty much the same type as used for the Gemini flights but without the docking adapter and in its original configuration. In 1966, Neil Armstrong and David Scott performed the first ever docking of two spacecraft in orbit with Gemini-8 and the Agena. The Agena-D rocket upper stage is best known from the Gemini-era as the Agena Target Vehicle (ATV). I was intrigued by the fact that the technique used to photograph this object wasn’t actually available at the time of launch. That is what the following pictures are about. Imagine seeing the remains of a rocket launch from 50 years ago, as a fossil of spaceflight history in orbit. The Thor Agena B with Discoverer 37 on the launch pad Jan. ![]()
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