AGENA TARGET VEHICLE

(Redirected from Agena Target Vehicle)



The 'Agena target vehicle' (ATV) was a spacecraft used by NASA to develop and practice orbital space rendezvous and docking techniques in preparation for the Apollo program lunar missions.
Each ATV consisted of an Agena spacecraft built by Lockheed and a docking adapter built by McDonnell. The Agena was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 on top of an Atlas booster built by the Convair division of General Dynamics. The Agena first burn would occur shortly after shroud jettison and separation from the Atlas over the Atlantic Ocean. Over Ascension Island, a second burn would boost the Agena into a low circular orbit.
The McDonnell Gemini spacecraft would then launch (as close as 90 minutes) from Launch Complex 19 (both countdowns would proceed in parallel and required close synchronization) and, toward the end of the program, would dock with the Agena within the first orbit after launch.
The Gemini astronauts would then fly in a stabilized mode and perform a number of experiments:

★ letting the Agena stabilize the formation to save the capsule's propellants (on the first docking, during the Gemini 8 mission, a stuck nozzle on the capsule resulted in an emergency undock and the mission termination)

★ EVA and work on a tool panel (this required installing handrails on the next flight after one astronaut's heart rate exceeded safe limits due to the effort expended just holding on)

★ lighting the Agena engine and reaching a record orbital apogee of 738 miles.

★ undocking, unreeling a 50 foot (15.24 meter) nylon strap between the capsule and the Agena and flying in a "dumbbell" configuration with the Agena below the astronauts (to check the gravitational effect on the formation stability in uncontrolled mode. This is now known as Gravity-gradient stabilization.)

★ using a similar tether and a few thruster bursts to rotate the two craft around each other as an early test of artificial gravity.
After the Gemini capsule separated for the last time, the Agena remained in orbit for a short time and was used to verify the command system.

Contents

Agena target vehicle flight statistics

External links

Agena target vehicle flight statistics

Agena	Gemini mission	Launched	Reentered	NSSDC ID	Comments
GATV-5002	Gemini 6	October 25, 1965 15:00:04 UTC	October 25, 1965 15:06:20 UTC	GEM6T	Exploded during launch. 3,261-kg
GATV-5003	Gemini 8	March 16, 1966 15:00:03 UTC	September 15, 1967	1966-019A	First docking. 3,175-kg. Gemini 10 later rendezvoused with Agena 8
GATV-5004	Gemini 9A	May 17, 1966 15:12:00 UTC	May 17, 1966 15:19:00 UTC	GEM9TA	Failed to orbit. 3,252-kg
ATDA #02186	Gemini 9A	June 1, 1966 15:00:02 UTC	June 11, 1966	1966-046A	Shroud did not separate. 794 kg. Built from docking portion of Agena Target Vehicle and Gemini reentry thruster section.
GATV-5005	Gemini 10	July 18, 1966 20:39:46 UTC	December 29, 1966	1966-065A	Boosted Gemini 10 to a 763-km apogee. 3,175-kg.
GATV-5006	Gemini 11	September 12,1966 13:05:01 UTC	December 30, 1966	1966-080A	Boosted Gemini 11 to a record 1,374-km apogee. 3,175-kg. First demonstration of artificial gravity created in a microgravity environment.
GATV-5001A	Gemini 12	November 11, 1966 19:07:58 UTC	December 23,1966	1966-103A	No apogee boost due to a defective main Agena engine. 3,175-kg. Tether experiment.

External links

★ Gemini 6/Agena target vehicle 5002 systems test evaluation (PDF) December 1965

★ Gemini 8 Docks with Agena Video