Learning, developing and planning

Abstract

In a newspaper interview published in October 1965, just before the scheduled launch of Gemini VI, Mueller went out on a limb and said, “I don’t think there’s anything we haven’t thought of.” He called the recent simulation of the mission a full dress rehearsal that had gone perfectly, and claimed that the agency had thought of everything, including what to do if Gemini VI could not undock with the Agena target vehicle- it would return with Agena attached to the nose of the spacecraft. He predicted docking would be easy, but proving it had still to be demonstrated. He then described the mission as “a major step forward in space exploration in understanding man’s ability to work and live in space,” explaining that each flight provided new knowledge. In conclusion, he said that the coming year would be busy with about ten launches to complete Gemini and start Apollo.