Astronaut Scientific Debriefings, 1962-1963

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opportunity to see a highway, for example, and trace it,
because I wasn't over those populated areas such as the Southern
United States long enough or had the clear weather to just
sit there and observe them.
In contrast, I think what you
would do if you saw something and wanted to look at it, I
think what you would do is that you would pitch down more - to
look almost straight down and see it which Scott had the capability
of doing and he could really take a careful look at it.
O'Keefe - One curious fact that I haven't seen anybody take
advantage of is this.
It is quite common in triangulation ­
that two stations which are a couple of hundred miles apart, or
a hundred miles apart, and that therefore as far apart as you are
from the ground and along a light path which is much inferior ­
it's nearly parallel to the earth.
In order for one of those
stations to see the other one - to measure on it - they provide
one of them with a 6-inch heliotrope, that's enough.
That means
that somebody on the ground with a six-inch heliotrope who knew
how to point could point a light that you could see even in the
daytime if they had a dark background; and conversely, if you had
a heliotrope, you could also be seen from the ground.
I have never
seen this possibility discussed.
Of course it also goes with the
fact that instead of these tremendous flares, if they knew how to
point, they could make a much stronger light where you are with a
search light.
Schirra - Sure . . ..
O' Keefe - The army 5- foot searchlight gives 800 million candles