Gemini 7 Technical Debriefing, 1965

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18
The sequence light test. This was done after the first orbit.
We really had this insertion checklist in two phases, one
at insertion and then one after D-4, D-7.
4.0 ORBITAL FLIGHT
Borma.n
We have already disou.ased the station-keeping. That is no
problem.
I think the situation that we used,going off with
about 2 seconds--2 to 3 seconds--a.nd thrusting back with 5
seconds while you a.re still on your side getting back to the
booster as quickly as "POssible,solves the problem and takes
a lot of the orbital mechanics out of the situation. I
hope the film comes out.
The one thing that did make it &
little difficult on this one is when we looked back, we
were looking back into the sun, and the booster was right in
line with the sun. It was ju.at like flying formation when
the leader makes a. turn, a.nd you are down,..sun.
It is dif­
ficult to see, and I tried to move off to one side and
swing around and look a little bit more to the north.
I
think it was north. I guess I was trying to look to the
south where I could get the sun out of my line of sight.
also had a cut-off on the booster at station-keeping at 88%
fuel, so that at 88% fuel we were already in darkness, al­
though we had not reached the time for the D-4, D-7 separa­
tion which we.a to ooour a.too, 25.I think it was about '00: 23 or
I