Astronaut Scientific Debriefings, 1962-1963

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great length and I don't know whether we could be any more
expansive on that subject than we have already.
The only
thing that I can think of that we didn't talk about is an
ef fective color of the planet 1ercury.
It was as white to
me as any other ·star.
It was not blue, red or some other color.
It was definitely "star-appearing" to me.
It would have a
definite atmosphere where it would change colors and where it
di dn't have · any ·atmosphere, it didn't change colors.
I would
say that from that it had no different appearance than if I could
see it from the earth as a star.
1ercury itself was plotted on my
star chart; which is · a very valuable tool for these flights.
There
is just no doubt where Mercury has to be and we checked on it and,
of course; it was Mercury.
I think Larry · called me one day and we
all were · surprised that I saw Mercury longer than I shouid have seen
it and I guess this was explained by its being · seen ·through the
refraction ·of the · atmosphere.
Is this ~orrect?
Dr. O' Keefe · - Yes, that's the answer.
Mrs. Cameron is the one who
made the contribution.
This is her theory.
Schirra - This ·was a tremendous yardstick -as far as I was concerned .
It was so obvious to ·me that I just had to take the time · to descr ibe
its passage through the various layers of light and the way I
descri bed · it · in the handouts "Results of -Third U. S.
fanned
Orbital ·Space ' Flight; October -3, 1962" that you have is about
as accurate · as I can · describe it now .
Dr . Gill - Could you· make a little drawing on ·the blackboard for us ?