11 lus t\\'o other components.
RaJar [valuation Poll
'11H.' sighting of objects associated with a Gemini mis:.;ion itself
is an bitel':J'Hing pal'toof the record. 1n Gemini 5 a ren(lezviJus ex-
ercise \';.15 performed wi th 11 Hadar Evalu(ltion Pod (Rr:p), a package
equippeJ ~ith flashing lights and ejected from the spacecraft early
in the ll1i~,si.on. j.\1though the primnry aim of th0 rcnJezvous exercise
\... j~ to tl'~t raJar techniqlles, tlH' (;l'mini astronaut:'"in tLe;r convcT'-
:,atiol1s \.;ith NASA control , ('01111n0I11'cd (Table 9) lJ!t trlC vi~;ihjlity f)r
nan-visibility of the REI'. Platsl9shows a phot?graph of the IH':P made
0>' the astronaub.
Referring to r:i~. 4 , Section 4 of this chapter, tho HE!' illum-
inated by 5unli'.::ht should be of apparent n1'l~;;litudc -2 at a distance
of In Km. (assuming ' the astronaut:;.
Refer l'ing to H!l' 4 , Section 4 of this chapter, tho r~EP j 11um-
in(lted hy S1.1n 1 i '~h t 5 h DU 1d be of apparent m'I~;;) i tude -:2 at a d j stance
of In kill. (assuming, <1 1 meter effective diameter) ond magnitude +3
at a distance of 100 km.
:D~~, :\gen,\ Rcndc_z~
nil' relldc::V()U5 \.;i th tlw I<FP \,'a~ a rehearsal foT' tIle renueZ-
vous snJ docking exercises with the hgena. In turn the Agcnu exeT-
ci 5e'S ',,'ere rehearsals for the comi ng Apollo program in w1. i ch space
dockings will he a pan of both thl.' terrestrial an(1 lima)' flights.
'01£, Agt'na v()h I de J:.; n cy1 indrical object ,'i n;. lonf~ wi th a Mil-
m~ter of 1.S m. tts size makes it n conspicuous ohjcct at consid-
crahle distances wh(,11 il1um]natl)J l1Y the SUII. !'late' 20 illustl;ltcS
its appl'arance at difitan~e5 varyinR benll.)Cll 25 and 250 ft, fit
::sn ft. it~ apparent lI1agnitude wl.l'n slln~illuminatcd i~, -~1.74 (aholJt
1/13 the brightness of th{' full moon),
'Ilu: original plelll \,a~; to renuezvous wi th a1\ I\gt,n:l on the (;cmlni
11li~~toll~ {1-12 i/lclll~i\'('. '111(' pbnncd procedure was to sent! up the
!\~("la prior to the' l:.llIr,chin~: of +h(' lJIanned spacecraft, 111 the "'l~;C
of tile l;r~(l, till' :I~~ocial('d ,\gena dlLl not ilchieve urbit, ~;o a n'ndr_'~
"'Oll~ \\'ith (;'1'-7 \~as ~tlilstitlited.
300