Object Details
Manufacturer
McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
Summary
This Gemini boilerplate, nicknamed "El Kabong I," was used for soft-landing drop tests as part of the Para-Sail program. Dropped from an aircraft, the Gemini capsule was suspended from a Para-Sail as it descended to a landing site at Fort Hood, TX in August 1965. At 12.5 feet above the ground, altitude sensors fired landing rockets and the vehicle skidded to a stop on its landing gear. The system was never man-rated or used for actual Gemini flights.
In 1977 NASA transferred title to "El Kabong I" to the Smithsonian Institution.
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventory Number
A19830090000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Test Vehicles
Materials
Steel
Dimensions
Overall: 10 ft. 10 in. tall x 7 ft. 5 in. diameter (330.2 x 226.06cm)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A19830090000