Why NASA Abandoned the Gemini Rogallo Wing

Splashdowns are iconic of the Apollo era. From the first suborbital Mercury flight, the image of a capsule hitting the water became synonymous with the triumphant end of a mission. But even though splashdowns became part of America’s identity of its space agency, they weren’t NASA’s favoured way to end a mission. When you consider the astronauts were among the most skilled test pilots in the country, it seems odd that they were passively pulled from the ocean like wet rats. Splashdowns came from the initial decision to pursue capsule-style spacecraft, but they turned out to be…