What do you get when you combine spaceflight and paragliding? At the start of the Gemini program, NASA considered having the space capsule land on a runway after its return from orbit, rather than parachute into the ocean. The capsule’s controlled descent would be achieved by the deployment of an inflatable wing of the type invented by American aeronautical engineer Francis Rogallo and NASA’s Langley Research Center. Although never used to recover a crewed spacecraft, the system proved useful in developing alternate landing techniques—and the Rogallo wing was a precursor to the modern hang glider. Pictured here is the full-scale, piloted Test Tow Vehicle (TTV) in our collection, which was built to test the Gemini paraglider wing in flight. It served as the first of two Test Tow Vehicles flown to perfect maneuvering, control, and landing techniques. Take a closer look at this artifact in the latest #ASQ by visiting the link in our bio.