Editing Elliot See (section)

==NASA==
[[File:Gemini_5_Elliot_See_water_egress_training.jpg|thumb|See during water egress training]]
In 1962, See applied to become a [[NASA]] [[astronaut]]. After undergoing preliminary evaluations, medical tests, and interviews during the selection process,{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} See was selected to be in NASA's second group of astronauts, known as [[NASA Astronaut Group 2|The New Nine]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33352619/the_tampa_tribune/|title=Here are the Next Nine Astronauts Who Will Join in U.S. Race to the Moon|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|location=Tampa, Florida|date=September 18, 1962|page=4|via=Newspapers.com|agency=UPI}}</ref> He was 35 at the time of his selection; the oldest in the group.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} On his selection, he said "Overwhelmed isn't the right word. I was amazed and certainly pleased. It's a very great honor."{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} At the time of his selection, See had logged more than 3,900 hours of flying time, including more than 3,300 in [[jet aircraft]].<ref name="NASA Bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/see_elliot.pdf |title=Astronaut Bio: Elliot M. See Jr.|website=NASA |date=February 1966|access-date=May 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307203359/https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/see-em.html|archive-date=March 7, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=44}} He drove from Edwards with fellow civilian pilot [[Neil Armstrong]] to start his new career in [[Houston]], Texas, where the new [[Manned Spacecraft Center]] (MSC) was under construction.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=45}}

Every astronaut was assigned a core competency, a special area in which they had to develop expertise, by the NASA Astronaut Office. The knowledge they gathered could then be shared with the others, and the astronaut-expert was expected to provide astronaut input to the spacecraft designers and engineers. See's special area of expertise was the spacecraft electrical and sequential systems, and the coordination of mission planning.{{sfn|Burgess|2013|p=166}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/remembering-nasa-astronauts-elliot-see-and-charles-bassett|title=Remembering NASA Astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett|date=February 26, 2016|website=NASA|access-date=February 1, 2018|archive-date=April 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420122029/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/remembering-nasa-astronauts-elliot-see-and-charles-bassett/|url-status=dead}}</ref> See was tasked with determining if the crewed lunar landing should occur in direct sunlight or using light reflected from the [[Earth]]. To help make the decision, he flew helicopters and airplanes wearing special welding goggles to simulate different lighting conditions.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=48}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFIEAAAAMBAJ&q=Elliot%20See%20How%20much%20light&pg=PA86|title=How Much Light in Earthshine?|last1=See Jr.|first1=Elliot|magazine=Life|page=86B|publisher=Time Inc.|volume=55|issue=13|date=September 27, 1963|via=Google Books|issn=0024-3019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35559995/the_indianapolis_star/|title=Moon Explorers Face Light Problems|last1=See Jr.|first1=Elliot M.|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|location=Indianapolis, Indiana|date=August 23, 1964|page=18|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> See also landed helicopters with [[Jim Lovell]] on lava flows that simulated the terrain on the Moon.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA99|title=Ugly, Unearthly Bug|last1=Conrad|first1=Pete|page=99|magazine=Life|publisher=Time|date=October 2, 1964|issn=0024-3019|volume=57|issue=14}}</ref>

See was announced as the backup pilot for [[Gemini 5]] on February 8, 1965, with Armstrong serving as the backup command pilot.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=45}} They were the first civilians selected for a spaceflight.<ref>{{cite news|title=7-Day Space Flight Astronauts Selected|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 9, 1965|access-date=February 1, 2018|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17081486/}}</ref> Gemini 5 was launched on August 21, 1965. Early in the flight, a problem was discovered with the [[fuel cell]]s, and the [[flight controller]]s considered ending the mission early. See, who had worked with General Electric in developing the fuel cells, was confident that they could find a solution. Flight Director [[Chris Kraft]] gave them 24 hours to fix the problem. After working through the night, they diagnosed the problem and developed procedures that allowed the astronauts to fix the fuel cells, which allowed the mission to continue.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=46}}

See was a [[capsule communicator]] (CAPCOM) at MSC in Houston during the [[Gemini 7]]/[[Gemini 6A]] [[Space rendezvous|rendezvous]] mission in December 1965. Under the crew rotation system devised by chief astronaut [[Deke Slayton]], as the backup for Gemini 5, Armstrong and See were in line for prime crew of [[Gemini 8]].<ref name="NASA Bio"/>{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|pp=138, 168}}{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=110}} From the spring to the fall of 1965, Armstrong and See trained for the Gemini 5 mission. They spent a significant amount of time training in the spacecraft simulators. They flew back and forth to [[Kennedy Space Center]], from which their spacecraft would be launched; to [[North Carolina]] to develop experiments to be conducted during the flight; and to [[McDonnell Aircraft]] in [[St. Louis]], where the [[Gemini spacecraft]] was made.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=45}}

Contrary to Slayton's typical crew rotation, [[David Scott]] took See's place as the pilot of Gemini 8.<ref name="NASA Bio"/>{{sfn|Slayton|Cassutt|1994|pp=138, 168}}{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=110}} According to his autobiography, Slayton did not assign See to Gemini 8 because he considered him as too out-of-shape to perform an [[extravehicular activity]]. ''Life'' photographer Ralph Morse asked Armstrong why See was no longer assigned with him on the Gemini 8 mission, and Armstrong replied, "Elliot's too good a pilot not to have a command of his own."<ref name=life /> In October 1965 See was promoted to command pilot (first seat) of [[Gemini 9]], with [[Charles Bassett]] as his pilot.{{sfn|Burgess|Doolan|Vis|2003|p=110}} The Gemini 9 mission was similar to the previous mission. An extravehicular activity (EVA) that used the [[Astronaut propulsion unit|Astronaut Maneuvering Unit]] (AMU) was scheduled, and they would rendezvous with an [[Agena target vehicle]].{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=110}} Bassett was scheduled for the EVA and See would stay in the capsule.<ref name=life>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkwEAAAAMBAJ&q=elliot+see+astronaut&pg=PA34|via=Google Books|title=A Perfectly Paired Gemini Team Falls to Earth|last1=Morse|first1=Ralph|magazine=Life|page=34|publisher=Time Inc.|volume=60|issue=10|date=March 11, 1966|issn=0024-3019}}</ref>