Editing Michael Collins (astronaut) (section)

===Project Gemini===
====Crew assignments====
After this basic training, the third group was assigned specializations. Collins received his first choice: pressure suits and [[extravehicular activity|extravehicular activities]] (EVAs, also known as spacewalks).{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=110}} His job was to monitor development and act as a liaison between the Astronaut Office and contractors.{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=113–115}} He was disturbed by the secretive planning of Ed White's EVA on [[Gemini 4]], because he was not involved despite being the person with the greatest knowledge of the subject.{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=139–140}}

[[File:Gemini 10 prime crew (Young and Collins).jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=see caption|Collins (right) with [[John Young (astronaut)|John Young]] (left) and a model of their [[Gemini spacecraft]] and [[Titan II]] booster]]

In late June 1965, Collins received his first crew assignment: the backup pilot for [[Gemini 7]],{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=91}} with his [[West Point]] classmate Ed White named as the backup mission commander. Collins was the first of the fourteen to receive a crew assignment,{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=141–142}} but the first to fly was Scott on [[Gemini 8]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spacecoastdaily.com/2017/02/nasa-gemini-viii-first-docking-turns-to-wild-ride-in-orbit-quickly-became-in-flight-emergency/|title=NASA Gemini VIII First Docking Turns To Wild Ride in Orbit, Quickly Became In-Flight Emergency|publisher=Space Coast Daily|date=February 17, 2017|access-date=April 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417192131/http://spacecoastdaily.com/2017/02/nasa-gemini-viii-first-docking-turns-to-wild-ride-in-orbit-quickly-became-in-flight-emergency/|archive-date=April 17, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and  [[Charles Bassett]] was assigned to [[Gemini 9]].{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=166–167}} Under the system of crew rotation established by Slayton, being on the backup crew of Gemini{{nbsp}}7 set Collins up to pilot [[Gemini 10]].{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=142–143}} Gemini{{nbsp}}7 was commanded by Borman, whom Collins knew well from their days at Edwards, with [[Jim Lovell]] as the pilot. Collins made a point of providing a daily briefing to their wives, Susan Borman and Marilyn Lovell, on the progress of the two-week Gemini{{nbsp}}7 mission.{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=163}}

After the successful completion of Gemini{{nbsp}}7 on January 24, 1966, Collins was assigned to the prime crew of Gemini 10, but with [[John Young (astronaut)|John Young]] as mission commander, as White moved on to the [[Apollo program]].{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=166–167}}{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=123}} Jim Lovell and [[Buzz Aldrin]] were designated as the backup commander and pilot respectively.{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=174}} The arrangements were disturbed on February 28 by the deaths of the Gemini{{nbsp}}9 crew,  [[Charles Bassett]] and [[Elliot See]], in the [[1966 NASA T-38 crash]]. They were replaced on Gemini{{nbsp}}9 by their backups, Stafford and [[Gene Cernan]]. Cernan was the second of the fourteen to fly in space. Lovell and Aldrin became their backups, and [[Alan Bean]] and [[Clifton Williams|C.C. Williams]] took their place as the Gemini 10 backup crew.{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=176–177}} Collins would be the seventeenth American, and third member of his group, to fly in space.{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=251}}

Training for Gemini 10 was interrupted in March when Slayton diverted Young, Collins and Williams to represent their respective services on a panel to select [[NASA Astronaut Group 5|another group of astronauts]], along with himself, Shepard, spacecraft designer [[Max Faget]], and astronaut training officer [[Warren J. North]]. Young protested the loss of a week's training to no avail. Applying strict criteria for age, flying experience and education reduced the number of applicants to 35. The panel interviewed each for an hour, and rated nineteen as qualified. Collins was surprised when Slayton elected to take them all. Slayton later admitted that he too had doubts; he already had enough astronauts for [[Project Apollo]] as far as the first Moon landing, but post-Apollo plans were for up to 30 missions. Such a large intake therefore seemed prudent. Ten of the nineteen had test pilot experience, and seven were graduates of the ARPS.{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=177–181}}{{sfn|Shayler|Burgess|2017|pp=18–19}}{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|pp=171–173}}

====Gemini 10====
{{Main|Gemini 10}}
[[File:S66-42777.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Young and Collins helmetless in spacesuits|[[John Young (astronaut)|John Young]] (left) and Michael Collins aboard the recovery ship]]
Fifteen scientific experiments were carried on [[Gemini 10]]—more than any other Gemini mission except the two-week-long Gemini 7.{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=173}} After Gemini 9's EVA ran into problems, the remaining Gemini objectives had to be completed on the last three flights. While the overall number of objectives increased, the difficulty of Collins' EVA was scaled significantly back. There was no backpack or astronaut maneuvering unit (AMU), as there had been on Gemini 8.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=123}}

Their three-day mission called for them to rendezvous with two [[Agena Target Vehicle]]s, undertake two EVAs, and perform 15 different experiments. The training went smoothly, as the crew learned the intricacies of [[orbital rendezvous]], controlling the Agena and, for Collins, the EVA. For what was to be the fourth ever EVA, underwater training was not performed, mostly because Collins did not have the time. To train to use the nitrogen gun he would use for propulsion, a smooth metal surface about the size of a boxing ring was set up. He would stand on a circular pad that used gas jets to raise itself off the surface. Using the nitrogen gun he would practice propelling himself across the "slippery table".{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=177–198}}

Gemini 10 lifted off from [[Launch Complex 19]] at [[Cape Canaveral]] at 17:20 local time on July 18, 1966. Upon reaching orbit, it was about {{convert|1600|km|nmi|sp=us|order=flip}} behind the Agena target vehicle, which had been launched 100 minutes earlier. A rendezvous was achieved on Gemini 10's fourth orbit at 10:43, followed by docking at 11:13.<ref name="Gemini 10">{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1966-066A |title=Gemini 10|website=NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive |access-date=December 20, 2018}}</ref>{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|2010|pp=341–344]}} The mission plan called for multiple dockings with the Agena target, but an error by Collins in using the [[sextant]] caused them to burn valuable propellant, resulting in Mission Control calling off this objective to conserve propellant.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=125}} Once docked, the Agena 10 propulsion system was activated to boost the astronauts to a new altitude record, {{convert|764|km|sp=us|order=flip}} above the Earth, breaking the previous record of {{convert|295|mi}} set by [[Voskhod 2]].{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=126}}

[[File:S66-46122.jpg|thumb|left|[[Agena Target Vehicle|Agena Target Docking Vehicle]] photographed near the [[Gemini 10]] spacecraft|alt=Rocket floating above Earth]]
A second burn of the Agena 10 engine at 03:58 on July 19 put them into the same orbit as Agena{{nbsp}}8, which had been launched for the Gemini{{nbsp}}8 mission on March 16. For his first EVA Collins did not leave the Gemini capsule, but stood up through the hatch with an ultraviolet camera.<ref name="Gemini 10" /> After he took the ultraviolet photos, Collins took photos of a plate they brought with them. They were used to compare photos taken in space with those taken in a laboratory.{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=219–222}} In his biography he said he felt at that moment like a [[Roman mythology|Roman god]] riding the skies in his chariot.{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=221, 475}}

The EVA started on the dark side of the Earth so Collins could take photos of the [[Milky Way]]. Collins' and Young's eyes began to water, forcing an early end to the EVA.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=127}} [[Lithium hydroxide]], which was normally used to remove exhaled [[carbon dioxide]] from the cabin, had accidentally been fed into the astronauts' space suits. The compressor causing the problem was switched off,{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|p=178}} and a high oxygen flow was used to purge the environmental control system.<ref name="Gemini 10" />

Prior to Collins' second EVA, the Agena 10 spacecraft was jettisoned. Young positioned the capsule close enough to Agena{{nbsp}}8 for Collins to get to it while attached to his {{convert|49|ft|adj=on}} umbilical.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|pp=127–129}} Collins became the [[List of spacewalkers|first person to perform two spacewalks]] in the same mission.{{sfn|Evans|2010|p=151}}{{sfn|Shayler|2004|loc=Appendix 1}} He found it took much longer to complete tasks than he expected, something Cernan also experienced during his spacewalk on Gemini 9. He removed a [[micrometeorite]] experiment from the exterior of the spacecraft, and configured his nitrogen maneuvering thruster. Collins had difficulty reentering the spacecraft, and needed Young to pull him back in with the umbilical.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|pp=127–129}}

The duo activated the [[retrorocket]]s on their 43rd orbit, and they splashed down in the Atlantic at 16:06 on July 21, {{convert|3.5|nmi|km}} from the recovery vessel, the [[Amphibious transport dock|amphibious assault ship]] {{USS|Guadalcanal|LPH-7|6}}, and were picked up by helicopter.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|pp=127–129}} Collins and Young completed nearly all the major objectives of the flight.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19134550/palladiumitem/|title=Astronauts splash down safely; mission proves much yet to be learned in space|newspaper=Palladium-Item|location=Richmond, Indiana|page=11|date=July 22, 1966|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=April 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412001230/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19134550/palladiumitem/|archive-date=April 12, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The docking practice and the landmark measurement experiment were cancelled in order to conserve propellant, and the micrometeorite collector was lost when it drifted out of the spacecraft.<ref name="Gemini 10" />
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