August 14 Meeting: “Gemini: Forgotten Middle Child”

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Photo: Gemini 7 Spacecraft as seen from Gemini 6. Image Credit: NASA
Gemini 7 Spacecraft as seen from Gemini 6. Image Credit: NASA

This month’s General Membership Meeting of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association will take place on August 14, starting at 7:30 PM at the Rocky River Nature Center; 24000 Valley Parkway; North Olmsted, Ohio, in the Cleveland Metroparks.

The meeting will begin with a program featuring Tom Benson, Senior Aeronautical Engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. His presentation is, “Gemini: The forgotten Middle Child of the American Space Program!” The two-man capsules helped with the transition from the one-man Mercury capsules to the three-man Apollo spacecraft with lunar landers. Gemini pioneered such things as on-orbit rendezvous and docking, “space walks,” and spacecraft design and control. Gemini was vital to the U.S. effort to reach the Moon. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

A social break follows the program, then the business portion of the meeting will take place. Final planning for solar eclipse activities will be discussed along with other items.