60 years after Gemini, newly processed images reveal details
3 days ago
- #NASA
- #space-exploration
- #historical-photography
- Buzz Aldrin took the first selfie in space during the Gemini 12 mission on November 12, 1966.
- The 60th anniversary of Project Gemini missions, including the first US spacewalk by Ed White, has passed, with many missions now forgotten.
- NASA's early spaceflights, including Mercury and Gemini, were fraught with danger, yet no lives were lost during these pioneering missions.
- A new book, 'Gemini & Mercury Remastered' by Andy Saunders, features 300 meticulously restored photographs from these programs, highlighting the bravery of early astronauts.
- The book serves as a prequel to Saunders' 'Apollo Remastered,' focusing on the dawn of human space exploration and its historical significance.
- Early astronauts like John Glenn and Wally Schirra played key roles in advocating for and improving space photography, despite the primitive technology of the time.
- Gemini missions produced some of the finest photographs of Earth, partly due to the high altitudes they achieved, with Gemini 11 holding an altitude record for 58 years.
- Gene Cernan's harrowing 'spacewalk from hell' during Gemini 9A is a standout story, showcasing the extreme risks and challenges of early spacewalks.
- Andy Saunders' process involved reviewing 5,000 photographs and 16mm film frames, selecting 300 for the book based on aesthetic, historical, and storytelling value.
- The book emphasizes the human side of space exploration, with restored images revealing emotional depth and the immense risks taken by astronauts.