At any glven moment Juring the two-year p0riod of the Ccmlni
program (1965 and 1966) approximately 1000 known objects were l.n orbit.
[luring the same biennium, there was :1 total of 918 knOlI'n reentries,
Even though the p-:obability of a collision with an orbiting artifact
is statistically trivial, NASA and NORAD coordinated clo~;ely to keep
track of the relative positions in space of the o~jects orbiting there.
Proton III
An intel'estin~ example of an unexpected sighting of a~()thor space-
craft ,,'as lIlade b~' the (;end ni 1] astronauts. Quot i !l,g from the trans-
cript (~l,ll, t<.lpe Ln, p:lge 1)
\'iE' had a wiJl~nl<l1l fly ing wing on uS going
into SUllset llere, off to my left. A large obj oct
that was tumbling at ahout 1 rps and we flew -- we
had hilf1 in sight, T say fairly close to us, r don't
know, it could depend on how big he is and T guess
he could have been anythlng from our ELSS* to some-
thing clSl'. We took pictures of it.
'11\(, identification of tl1e sighting (tflpc 209, page 2) was given 8S
fol10\vs:
1\'(' have ;1 report on the object sighted by
Pete Com'ad ove)' '!'[1nnn;\rivc yesterday on the lRth
revolution. It ha~ been identifiod by NORi\D as
the Proton 1 I I s;ltl'1litc, Si nee i'rotnn TI I was
more than ~50 kilometers from Gemini 11, it is
unlikely that any photographs would show more
than a point Jf light.
Thl' pictLlrcs referred to arc shown in cnlaqWlllcnt ill Plates 17 anu 18,
"111(' Proton TIT sutcllitc and its rock<~t arc included in the P.,\.S.S.
1i :;t i l1~S under the nl'll1(J{'l'S 1~)()h-b()1\ and 1q()()-fJOIl \~ i th the fo llowi ng
charac tt'l'i s tic s :
'" I:LSS '" cxtrav('!1 j L'lllLll' Ii f{' support ~yst(,111
298
At any gIven moment during the two-year period of the CCl1\tlli
program (l9liS and 1966) approximate Iv 1000 known objects wcre U\ or\,i t.
[luring the same biennium, there was ,1 total of 918 known reentries,
Even though the p~obability of a collision with an orbiting artifact
is statistically trivial, NASA and NORAD coordinated clo~ely to keep
track of the relative posi tion5 in space of the orjects orbi ting there.
Proton III
An intel'estil1!! example of ,1I1 unexpected sighting of «Clother space-
craft \,'1:; made b\' the Gemini II astrOJ1aut~. Quotillg from tho trans-
cript «;J,11, tel!," Ln, p:lgC I)
We had a wingnwll flying wing on us goil1~
into ,-;ulIset: here, off to my left. A large object
t11clt was tumbl in!, 8t about ] rp5 ,mel we flew -- we
had hitn in sight, T say fairly close to us, r don' t
know, it could depend on how big hc is and T guess
he could have becn anythlJ1g from our ELSS" to some-
thing dSl'. We took pictures of it.
'nil' identification of tile ~ighting (tllpc 209, page 2) was given as
follOl~s:
1\'12 have :1 report on the object sighted b),
Pete Com'ad over Tr.nnn:\rivc yesterdRY on the lilth
revolution. [t has been idcntifil)d by NORIII) as
the Proton 1[[ s:ltl'llitl'. Since Proton Ilf was
more than ~50 kilometers from Gemini 11, it is
unlikely that :Ill\, photographs would ~how rnore
than ,I point?f light.
Till' piCtlll'C5 refC'rred to arc shown in cnlaq~l'llIcnt ill Plates 17 anu 18,
'l1lt' Protoll Til ~t1tdJitl' and its rockpt flrcincl.udeo ill th(; p,,\,S,,'i.
li:;till,,~ lIlllkr the 111'111\1('l'S IDC.h-(J()!\ and 1Q(,b-()[)1l \'iith the following
charactcI'ist i ,'S:
* I:LSS '" ('xtl'<lvehiclll(1)' lift' support ~yst(,!11
298