Astronaut Scientific Debriefings, 1962-1963

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63
Nordberg - There are some thoughts that by polarization and so,
one can distinguish it over a uniform surface; of course, the
eye doesn't have this, but I'm just looking for a clue that the
eye might have which we hadn't thought of in an instrument such
as depth, because it's interesting when you say you can see all
this depth in the clouds themselves.
Schirra - Yes.
Nordbe.!.,& - ... whether one could see because of depth difference and
shadows, or something, this distinction between clouds and snow.
On
the first TI ROS (satellite), TI ROS I , . ~
Schirra - This thing is stalled out (referring to tape recorder). 1
Is that o.k.
Is it finished?
- No, no that's going.)
Nordberg - The first TIROS was just sort of an observation when we
still were at this "Ge Whiz" stage on satellites.
Boy, we see
something
Schirra - Sure, now you want more?
(Laughter) - So do I.
Nordberg - People said look at those beautiful orgraphic clouds
over northern India, and there is this huge band, until somebody
saw valleys in these clouds and all there was - was snow~covered
areas and with the valleys being clear.
Schirra - Very good. . ..
Tennyson - John O'Keefe has come up with a statement that I, at least ,
would like to think about some more and that is the relative motion
involved here.
TIROS and Nimbus, etc. are still picture - type items.
think his (Schirra's) statement there that watching the tops and
bases and of the earth moving at different relative speeds may be,
at least, as important to height determination as anything we can
I