This was the first indication that the fellows had about a major truth concerning space flights. You didn’t “take” the capsule off the ground, you didn’t bring it up to altitude, you didn’t alter its course, and you didn’t land it; i.e., you didn’t fly it—and so your performance was not going to be rated on how well you flew the craft, as it would be in flight test or combat. You could be rated only on how well you covered the items on your checklist. Therefore, the fewer items you had on your checklist, the better shot you had at a “perfect” flight.
