2006_12_01_archive

Friday Feature: Photos from Dryden

October, 1968 --The Paresev 1-B tested the concept of a paraglider,

designed to enable a Gemini capsule to fly to a controlled ground

landing. This would remove the need to make an ocean splashdown at the

end of a spaceflight. Once the paraglider was deployed, the Gemini

crew could use it to steer toward a touchdown point and to land on

three retractable skids. Because the paraglider represented an

unproved technology, approval was given to build a simple test vehicle

to try out the concept. The paraglider research vehicle, or Paresev,

was built of steel tubing, with a fabric paraglider. The Paresev was

unpowered, so it had to be towed aloft either by ground vehicles or

aircraft, such as a biplane or a light aircraft. The Paresev was a

demanding aircraft to fly. Milt Thompson said that he found it more

difficult to handle than the later lifting bodies. Due to technical

and cost problems, the Gemini spacecraft never used the paraglider,

and all missions made ocean splashdowns.

Posted by John Owen Butler at 12/01/2006 01:07:00 PM 1 comments Links

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Fo' Shizzle

News that police determine that rapper Snoop Dogg is still associated

with the 'Rolling 20s' Crips.

Man, I had that one figured out a long, long time ago, and I'm a 49