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− | [[File:Gemini Guidance Computer | + | [[File:Gemini Guidance Computer Panels.png|thumb|500px|right|The Gemini Guidance Computer's controls and display.]] |
− | The '''Gemini Guidance Computer''' | + | The '''Gemini Guidance Computer''' was a [[digital computer|digital]], [[serial computer]] designed for [[Wikipedia:Project Gemini|Project Gemini]], America's second man-in-space effort. The computer, which facilitated the control of mission maneuvers, was designed by the [[IBM Federal Systems Division]]. |
== History == | == History == | ||
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Project Mercury was America's first man-in-space effort. Due to its simplicity and size, however, it did not have any independent maneuvering capability. The re-entry retrofire times and firing attitude were calculated by computing center on the ground and were transmitted in real-time to the spacecraft. Because of that the Mercury spacecraft did not require a main computer. | Project Mercury was America's first man-in-space effort. Due to its simplicity and size, however, it did not have any independent maneuvering capability. The re-entry retrofire times and firing attitude were calculated by computing center on the ground and were transmitted in real-time to the spacecraft. Because of that the Mercury spacecraft did not require a main computer. | ||
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== Functionality == | == Functionality == | ||
− | The Gemini Guidance Computer was responsible for the following functions: | + | The Gemini Guidance Computer was responsible for the following functions: |
* Ascent - serves as a backup [[wikipedia:Guidance system|guidance system]]. The switchover is manually controlled by the astronauts | * Ascent - serves as a backup [[wikipedia:Guidance system|guidance system]]. The switchover is manually controlled by the astronauts | ||
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* Rendezvous - serves as primary reference by providing guidance information to the astronauts. The orbit parameters are determined by the ground tracking which are then sent to the spacecraft; the guidance computer was responsible for processing the information along with sensed spacecraft attitude. The information was presented to the astronauts in terms of spacecraft coordinates. | * Rendezvous - serves as primary reference by providing guidance information to the astronauts. The orbit parameters are determined by the ground tracking which are then sent to the spacecraft; the guidance computer was responsible for processing the information along with sensed spacecraft attitude. The information was presented to the astronauts in terms of spacecraft coordinates. | ||
* Reentry - feeds commands directly to the reentry control system for automatic reentry or provides the guidance information to the astronauts a manual reentry. | * Reentry - feeds commands directly to the reentry control system for automatic reentry or provides the guidance information to the astronauts a manual reentry. | ||
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