GT-7 as planned before loss off GT-6's Agena

[Proponent]

Was Gemini 7 originally planned as a long-duration docking mission or as a solo long-duration mission?

I had assumed that, like Gemini 6, it was originally intended to dock with an Agena.  But, if that were true, wouldn't a replacement Agena likely have been available fairly soon after the loss of the original Agena?

[TJL]

Prior to GT-6 delays, Gemini 7 was planned as a "solo" long duration flight...similar to Gemini 5 but 6 days longer.

[libra]

GATV really drove NASA crazy until its very last flight...when it deprived Gemini 12 of its "high ride".

It was an uncooperative target, in the sense of: reluctant to work properly.

Seriously: of all the GATV launched, an appalling small number ever worked properly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agena_target_vehicle#Flight_statistics

Betrayed Gemini 6

Nearly killed Gemini 8 (not its fault, or only indirectly)

Failed Gemini 9, twice.

Decided it would not work for Gemini 12

Two success out of seven atempts...

[slobber91]

Nearly killed Gemini 8

Libra,

Was there an issue with the Agena on Gemini 8?  I'm certainly aware of the stuck Gemini OAMS thruster which caused the tumble and the subsequent need for an emergency reentry, but I had not read about any issues with the Agena on this mission prior to now.  If there were Agena issues on GT-8, I'm eager to hear more (although perhaps in a more appropriate thread). 

[libra]

D'oh, YOU are right of course. I blamed the Agena, but as you note, it was a Gemini thruster that caused the hellish spin.     Nothing new under the sun !

The crew believed it was the Agena that was going crazy, undocked urgently... only to find the spin came from the Gemini and was going worse every second.

Ok, 3 out of 7 for the Agena then. Since Gemini 8 brush with disaster was not related to it.

[Proponent]

Suspicion of the GATV's reliability was a reason for Gemini 8's crew to guess the trouble lay with it and undock, worsening the predicament.  Had GATV-6 not failed, the crew would likely have been less suspicious of its GATV and perhaps would not have undocked.  In a sense, then, the GATV's unreliability imperiled the crew of Gemini 8.

[Steve G]

GATV on Gemini 6 was lost after a successful Atlas launch.
GATV on Gemin1 8 performed well, and was used again passively on Gemini 10.
GATV on Gemini 9 failed to reach orbit again, but fault was with the Atlas, so not GATV's fault.
Then the Augmented Target Docking Adapter was launched as a backup, but fairing failed to release, but not a a GATV failure.
GATV on Geminis 10 and 11 worked fine.
GATV on Gemini 12 could not perform the scheduled orbit manoeuvre as a stuck fuel valve prevented engine start.

So really GT8, 10, 11 were successful.
GT 6 not GTTV's fault.
Gt9 and 12 not successful.
ATDA was not an Agena, so doesn't count.
Overall, two GATV failures, three successes, one lost due to Atlas failure. Still, overall, a poor track record.

[zubenelgenubi]

Prior to GT-6 delays, Gemini 7 was planned as a "solo" long duration flight...similar to Gemini 5 but 6 days longer.

I suppose Gemini 7 would have been an even more of a "grit your teeth and bear it" mission without a rendezvous to make things more challenging.

[libra]

I'm a die hard fan of the Agena, I'm writting an "alt history" / "techno-thriller" / "sci-fi" novel related to it.

And yet in this thread I blamed the poor thing for failures it wasn't related with. 

Life is unfair at times 

In passing, I never asked before but - had the Agena not failed Gemini-12, how "high" was their ride to go ?
Gemini 10 went to 763 km
Gemini 11, 1369 km
Was Gemini 12 supposed to break that "record" ? How were decided the rides apogee altitude  ?

EDIT: this excellent website provided an answer.

https://www.drewexmachina.com/2016/11/15/the-grand-finale-the-mission-of-gemini-12/

Once in orbit, Gemini 12 would then follow an M=3 rendezvous profile with docking scheduled to occur three hours and 55 minutes after launch. Both members of the Gemini crew would then practice undocking and docking with the GATV as had been done in earlier missions. Before the beginning of the crew’s first sleep period, they would fire the main engine on Agena’s primary propulsion system (PPS) eight hours and five minutes into the mission to raise the apogee of the joined spacecraft to 740 kilometers. Unlike during the Gemini 10 and 11 missions which also flew high-apogee orbits with the assistance of the PPS, the apogee of this new orbit was planned to occur over the northern hemisphere to allow synoptic photography over the US.

So like Gemini 10 rather 11.

[Blackstar]

I'm a die hard fan of the Agena, I'm writting an "alt history" / "techno-thriller" / "sci-fi" novel related to it.

Why not write a real history of the Agena? Nobody has done it. You'll be a hero!

Lots of documents here:

https://www.nro.gov/FOIA/WSS-Records/

[JoeFromRIUSA]

I'm a die hard fan of the Agena, I'm writting an "alt history" / "techno-thriller" / "sci-fi" novel related to it.

Put me down for a copy,Libra

[libra]

Gunter space "Agena" page might be a good start... https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_stage/agena.htm

[libra]

I'm a die hard fan of the Agena, I'm writting an "alt history" / "techno-thriller" / "sci-fi" novel related to it.

Put me down for a copy,Libra

Some extracts here. No idea if I will ever get that thing into a publishable shape; at least it is a fun ride. Reading stuff here and there; doing research; pouring the results into the story; rinse, repeat.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/dark-moon-rising-archibald-space-tl.36857/

Cheers !