In article ,
Eddie Valiant wrote:
To some extent, I think it's the other way 'round: these were people that
Slayton thought well of, and that put them at the top of the list for both
Gemini and Apollo.

Really? I would think that an earlier command in Gemini played some
part in their eventual selection as Apollo commanders, wouldn't it?

You really can't tell which was cause and which was effect. You can
equally claim that they were selected as Apollo commanders for exactly the
same reason(s) they were selected as Gemini commanders.

Grissom got assigned the first Apollo flight, and got quietly penciled in
for the first lunar landing, despite having commanded a Gemini for less
than five hours. And the next-shortest Gemini flight was commanded by the
guy who actually made the first landing.
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |