The Gemini 8 Flight Journal
Gemini 8
Part 8: More height adjustment
Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 2025 by Tracy L. Scott and W. David Woods. All rights reserved.
Last updated 2025-09-02
003:01:04 Guaymas CC: Gemini VIII, Guaymas CapCom.
003:01:08 Armstrong: Gemini.
Guaymas CC: Roger, Gemini. We have you Go on the ground.
Houston Flight: Guaymas CapCom.
Guaymas CC: Go ahead.
Houston Flight: Stand by. We're going to remote through Cal.
003:01:19 Armstrong: Everything looks pretty good up here.
003:01:21 Guaymas CC: Say again, Gemini VIII.
003:01:23 Armstrong: Everything looks okay up here.
003:01:25 Guaymas CC: Okay. We'd like for you to set your ACQ lights Off, spacecraft Command 251.
Houston Flight: Break, break. Guaymas, go remote air-to-ground.
Guaymas CC: Guaymas, remote.
003:02:25 Lovell: Gemini VIII, Houston CapCom.
003:02:27 Armstrong: Go ahead.
003:02:28 Lovell: Roger. We want to give you another burn here very shortly. Stand by to copy. GET B: 03:03:41; Delta-V, 2 feet; Posigrade. That'll be 0, 0, 0 and I'm reading you 02:54.
003:02:55 Armstrong: Okay, Houston. We didn't get that. All we got was the GET burn. Say again, please.
003:03:01 Lovell: Roger. The Delta-V is 2 feet per second, 2 plus zero.
003:03:05 Armstrong: Two feet per second.
003:03:07 Lovell: Roger. And its Posigrade.
003:03:08 Armstrong: Two feet, Posigrade. Is that correct?
003:03:12 Lovell: That is correct. 0, 0, 0.
003:03:14 Armstrong: Okay.
003:03:16 Lovell: Counting 25 seconds to burn. I'll count you down.
003:03:32 Lovell: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Burn it.
003:03:42 Armstrong: We got it.
003:03:44 Lovell: Off, burn.
003:04:17 Lovell: Gemini VIII, this is Houston. Let me know what the results are, will you please?
003:04:21 Armstrong: Stand by.
003:04:47 Armstrong: Okay. I think we got it in and have residuals.
003:04:52 Lovell: This is Houston. Say again, VIII.
003:04:55 Armstrong: Roger. The burn was on time and we have the residuals.
003:04:59 Lovell: Roger. Sorry for that hurried up thing but we had some malfunction here; so we had to get you a burn in a hurry, and I just thought I'd count it down for you.
003:05:09 Armstrong: Okay. Thank you.
003:05:15 Lovell: Gemini VIII, this is Houston. How is your platform alignment coming along?
003:05:22 Armstrong: Stand by.
003:06:00 Armstrong: Houston, we're not in alignment right now. Did you want us, for some reason, to align?
003:06:06 Lovell: Negative. We'd - Roger. We are curious how your flight - your alignment was going since we got an extra 2 feet per second, which our tracking had indicated had to be put in, and it came at a late time, that's all.
003:06:25 Armstrong: Okay. We had not aligned prior to the burn because we didn't have - we didn't think we'd have to have the burn. And we believe we still have some bias errors in the accelerometers.
003:06:36 Lovell: Roger. Understand. And also be informed that the Agena is now configured TDA north and we were just curious how your alignment has been going. Does it look like you've been getting good alignment?
003:06:47 Armstrong: That's correct. We have been getting good alignments.
003:06:51 Lovell: Roger, VIII. And if you'll switch your T/M switch to Real-Time and Delay-Time for us.
003:06:57 Armstrong: Real-Time/Delay-Time.
003:07:27 Armstrong: Houston, this is VIII. Besides, we don't have a lock-on yet. So I guess we'll have to wait until we get a lock before we send you 270.
003:07:36 Lovell: Roger. Understand you don't have a lock-on yet and you're going to wait before you send 270. Understand.
003:07:42 Armstrong: Negative. It's 251 we're going to send.
003:08:11 Armstrong: Houston, Gemini VIII.
003:08:15 Lovell: Go ahead, VIII. This is Houston.
003:08:17 Armstrong: Roger. Would you confirm a - a fuel cell purge at this time?
003:08:21 Lovell: Roger. Will do.
003:08:23 Lovell: We're standing by.
003:08:35 Lovell: Gemini VIII, this is Houston. If you go to Prelaunch, we'll check your accelerometer bias.
003:08:41 Armstrong: Okay. Going to Prelaunch and you did say you wanted the fuel cell purge at this time. Is that correct?
003:08:46 Lovell: That's right. And we're going to watch it.
003:08:48 Armstrong: Okay. We're getting intermittent lock-ons on the radar.
This is Gemini Control, Houston; at 3 hours, 9 minutes into the flight of Gemini 8. The plane change burn was completed on time at 2 hours and 45 minutes into the flight. Just prior to Hawaii acquisition. The crew confirmed that over Hawaii. We‘ve also completed another burn - a tweak burn - which came approximately 3 hours, 3 minutes into the flight, while they were over the west coast of Mexico, about 4 minutes ago. This had been an unplanned thing but it was to smooth out certain parameters here as the two vehicles close on each other. A very small burn, only two feet per second, quite similar to the one performed in their first rev as they crossed the Gulf of Mexico. The crew has been advised - as soon as they acquire the Agena, which should occur momentarily, radar acquisition - they have been instructed to send a command to the Agena which would have the effect of turning on the acquisition lights on the Agena. It's been determined here to go ahead and let the crew send this command. The command can also be sent from the ground, but the decision is to let the crew send this command. We have audio tape now from the Hawaii station and then we will bridge into the conversation as they cross Mexico and presently swing down over the island chain into South America. Here's the tape.
003:09:06 Lovell: VIII, this is Houston. Put your Tape Playback switch to Continuous.
003:09:12 Armstrong: Roger. To Continuous.
003:10:01 Lovell: Gemini VIII, this is Houston. We're having Delta-P lights which was not unusual on GT-7 but you should not have them on GT-8. Do you have your Crossover on?
003:10:10 Armstrong: Roger. That's affirm and we have no Delta-P.
003:10:12 Lovell: Okay. I'm kind of disappointed.
003:10:18 Armstrong: We've got a winner up here.
003:11:29 Lovell: Gemini VIII, this is Houston. Your accelerometer bias is right on and looks very good.
003:11:34 Armstrong: Okay. Thank you.
003:13:33 Lovell: Gemini VIII, Houston.
003:13:36 Armstrong: Go ahead.
003:13:37 Lovell: Roger. Would you place your T/M switch to Real-Time and ACQ and your Tape Playback switch to Command?
003:13:43 Armstrong: Roger. Real-Time and ACQ, and Tape Playback to Command.
003:13:48 Lovell: And would you place your Cryogenic Quantity switch to ECS O
2?
003:13:53 Armstrong: Roger. ECS O
2.
003:13:56 Scott: Be advised we did get a Delta-P on the H
2 purge on Section 2.
003:14:01 Lovell: Roger. The Delta-P.
003:14:09 Lovell: And now will you place your Cryogenic switch to Fuel Cell O
2?
003:14:49 Lovell: Gemini VIII, this is Houston. Put your Cryogenic Qnmntity switch to Fuel Cell O
2.
003:14:54 Armstrong: Roger.
003:15:15 Armstrong: Houston, Gemini VIII. Fuel cell purge complete. The Crossover is on.
003:15:20 Lovell: Roger. Understand the fuel cell purge is complete and Cryogenic Quantity switch then to Off, please.
003:15:26 Armstrong: Roger.
