Rendezvous and Recovery Section, Gemini

This is a Rendezvous and Recovery (R&R) section from a Gemini capsule. Located at the forward part of the capsule, this section housed the radar equipment for rendezvousing with the Agena target vehicle and the drogue, pilot, and main parachutes. At about 10,500 feet altitude during the reentry, the deployed drogue parachute was released, the pilot parachute was deployed, a pyrotechnic device severed all 24 bolts attaching the section to the Reentry Control System section, and the R&R section fell away as the main parachute deployed. This R&R section was part of a test capsule and was not flown. It does not have the antennas, radar equipment, parachutes, or thermal insulation and has aluminum instead of beryllium shingles. McDonnell Aircraft made this artifact and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration transferred it to NASM in 1968.