Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL) Program
Part 2 of my Past Concepts, I had to "temporarily" move to Orbiter 2006-P1 for optimal use of estar's Gemini Program.
Anyway, this is the [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1040"]Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL)[/ame]. It was very similar to the Soviet Almaz program.
MOL did actually exist but project was canceled in 1969 during the height of the Apollo program, and U.S. space station development was put on hold until the NASA Skylab project in the mid 1970's.
There was one test flight of an MOL mock up that was built from a Titan II propellant tank. The Gemini 2 spacecraft was re-flown on a 33-minute sub-orbital test flight. After the Gemini was separated for its sub-orbital reentry, the MOL mock up continued on into orbit and released three satellites.
I have created multiple
hypothetical MOL missions:
MOL I
This would have been unmanned test and qualification flight of the Gemini Capsule and it's connection to the Laboratory Module.
MOL II
This would have been a second unmanned test patching up on some of the errors for MOL I.
MOL III
This would have been a reconnaissance mission with thirty days in orbit, followed by a natural reentry.
MOL IV
This would have docked to MOL V, then performed a joint reconnaissance mission, followed by a deliberate reentry.
MOL V
This would have docked to MOL IV, then performed a joint reconnaissance mission, followed by a natural reentry.
