Documents / Official release
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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. . Additional support to the astronaut in carrying
out scientific observations is warranted particularly
in consideration of Col. Glenn's attiftude and interest in
carrying out such observations. Several instruments may
be added to the spacecraft, within engineering limitations~
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to assist in obtaining further detail~data.
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Col. Glenn suggested that t.ae follo discussioms
would be to his interest. Such follow-on discussion is
strongely recommended for further questions and exchanges) ~
inform the astronaut aihalysis
to ova~~ate-~eP-tao-astPeRa~t of the results of the~
and study of his observations.
C . It is of se.e:~ a:t-importanli" that proper dark
adaptation methods be incorporated into the spacecraft system
so that the astronaut may optimize his visual observations.
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Investigations of the physics of OQB!!fteft~s and the
feasibility of the ~l " th-tificial ~omet "experiment
may be carried out directly by the astronaut in a relatively
strai-ghtforward way. ~ These experiments should be
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Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 216 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.