Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Agena Docking
Message-ID: <1990Feb3.205522.22047@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <10556.1206.forumexp@mts.rpi.edu>
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 90 20:55:22 GMT

In article <10556.1206.forumexp@mts.rpi.edu> Greg_d._Moore@mts.rpi.edu (Commander Krugannal) writes:
>      Point well taken Henry about the Agena going up first. It
>   seems though that the idea would still be feasible even in that
>   case. We did it 25 years ago, I think we could still do it 
>   today...

Yeah, it would make a lot of sense.  Apart from the anti-expendable
politics within NASA, I can't see any problem with it.  It baffles me
that the people planning things like Mars sample-return missions are
obviously greatly inconvenienced by limited launch weights, and yet
won't consider in-orbit assembly.

>     On one of the Gemini flights though didn't they end up 
>   launching a alternate docking mechanism. (I think this was the
>   same incident know as the "Angry Alligotor")

Yes, the Agena they originally put up ran out of on-orbit lifetime due
to repeated Gemini launch delays.  The cobbled-together docking test
vehicle that replaced it went up fine, except that its nose shroud did
not release properly.  (The astronauts wanted to try an EVA to remove
it, but Mission Control vetoed that.)
-- 
1972: Saturn V #15 flight-ready|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
1990: birds nesting in engines | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu