Object Details
Manufacturer
McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
Summary
A heat shield protected the two-man Gemini spacecraft against the enormous heat of reentry into the atmosphere beginning at a velocity of more than 27,500 kilometers (17,000 miles) per hour. Like those of other early human spacecraft, Gemini's heat shield derived from ballistic-missile warhead technology. The dish-shaped shield created a shock wave in the atmosphere that held off most of the heat. The rest dissipated by ablation: charring and evaporation of the shield's surface. Ablative heat shields are not reusable.
The ablative substance of the Gemini heat shield is a paste-like silicone elastomer material which hardens after being poured into a honeycomb form. This heat shield may have been installed on Gemini 2, launched on an unmanned test in January 1965. The circular marks show where samples were removed afterward for testing, and the resulting holes repaired. In 1970 McDonnell-Douglas gave this object to the Smithsonian on behalf of NASA.
Alternate Name
Gemini Heat Shield, Ablated
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through McDonnell Aircraft Corp.
Inventory Number
A19781814000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Parts & Structural Components
Materials
Base: Resin-impregnated fiberglass; Honeycomb filling: Dow-Corning DC-325 ablative material; Outer ring: Fiberite
Dimensions
Overall: 7 ft. 8 in. diameter, 240 lb. (233.68cm, 108.9kg)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
Exhibit Station
Human Spaceflight
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A19781814000