Astronaut Scientific Debriefings, 1962-1963

This NASA file of astronaut scientific debriefing papers from 1962 collects internal Office of Space Sciences material on the science observations made on early Mercury flights. A February 1962 memo from Maurice Dubin asks for more detail on John Glenn's report of luminous particles and the atmospheric horizon layer. A draft memo concludes that the particles were tied to the spacecraft and were not extraterrestrial. The file also holds a Los Alamos letter that attributes the high haze layer to nitrogen peroxide, and notes on Carpenter's airglow observations.

From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 This file contains memoranda, correspondence, reports, and other materials relating to contemporary scientific interest in investigating the nature of luminous phenomena reported by astronauts John Glenn and Walter Schirra during spaceflight. This collection includes transcripts from NASA interviews and debriefings with both astronauts regarding those observations. It also contains details relating to scientific observations of atmospheric phenomena, including brief descriptions of luminous particles, experiences while aboard spacecraft, and circa 1955 theoretical analysis of meteoric particles entering the atmosphere. Pages 34-35, 55-56, 57-63, 64-113, and 122-127 feature content relevant to the PURSUE initiative.

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FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
15 November 1963
In Reply Refer to:
SM(JRG:neml_
1EMORANDUM FOR: All Participants
FROM : J. R. Gill
SUBJECT: Scientific Debriefing of Lt.
Walter Schirra, held at NASA Cmdr.
,
Headquarters, 1arch 12, 1963
This document is a literal transcription of the
subject de-briefing made from the tape recording.
It is issued to participants only for their
comments · and/or re~ommended deletbn. Deadline
for receipt of this is December 20, 1963. After
that time an edited version may be prepared for
wider distribution.
~ Q:~
gocel~n R. Gi ll
Enclosure
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY