Neil Armstrong: courage and poise

Posted by on Aug 27, 2012 in Leadership | 0 comments

The mission started off flawlessly.  Gemini VIII ascended, approached the Agena rendezvous craft as planned, and the first time two spacecraft had ever been docked in space was accomplished handily. 

Then, without apparent reason, the two docked spacecraft began to roll.  This was first noticed by the co-pilot.  The pilot immediately took control with the Orbital Attitude and Maneuvering System (OAMS), which seemed to stop the roll.  But as soon as he turned the system off, the docked craft began to roll again.

Ground Control made the assumption that something was wrong with the Agena and informed the crew that they should turn off power to the Agena.  When they did, the rolling stopped for a few minutes; but ultimately, both spacecraft started to roll again.  It was at this point that the co-pilot noticed that Gemini’s fuel level was at 30 percent.  This indicated to the pilot and co-pilot that the problem was with their craft, not the Agena.  Gemini VIII transferred control of the Agena back to Ground Control and proceeded to undock.

Once the undocking procedure was complete, Neil Armstrong, the pilot, shut down the maneuvering system.  Gemini VIII went into a roll again.  But without the extra mass provided by the second spacecraft, the roll was more rapid – this time approaching one revolution per second.

Imagine, if you will, being in a spacecraft that is tumbling out of control at a very rapid rate.  Not only are you out of control, but you are rapidly approaching the kind of extreme forces that would impair your vision and cause you to lose consciousness.  Then consider the fact that this is your first time in space.

It was under these conditions that Neil Armstrong took action, shutting down the OAMS and using the Re-entry Control System to regain control of the spacecraft.  Once he had regained control, the two astronauts performed a detailed check of their spacecraft and determined that one of the thrusters in the OAMS had stuck open.  Since the maneuver required the use of the Re-entry Control System, NASA procedure then dictated that the flight be terminated.  The two astronauts prepared for an emergency landing.

The Gemini VIII space flight ended with the successful recovery of the astronauts and their spacecraft.  While I’m certain that Astronaut David Scott, the co-pilot, played an important role in averting disaster, I believe it was the calm, professional skill of Armstrong that saved them.  Armstrong would demonstrate that same calm, professional demeanor again as he took manual control of the Apollo 11 Eagle lunar landing craft, avoiding a dangerous rocky patch and instead guiding the module to a safe landing in a smoother area with only seconds of fuel left.  Buzz Aldrin called Armstrong the best pilot that he has ever seen.

Neil Armstrong was an engineer at heart who loved to fly.  His intellect, skill, and leadership led to his being named commander of these two historic missions.  His courage and poise under these extreme situations enabled him to avert disaster and, in the end, accomplish the single-most-amazing achievement mankind has ever undertaken. 

Mr. Armstrong, you have taken us where no man has gone before.  Thank you.

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