MSC Director of Flight Crew Operations Donald K. Slayton and Director of Flight Operations Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., told ASPO Manager Joseph F. Shea: "A comprehensive examination of the Apollo missions leading to the lunar landing indicates that there is a considerable discontinuity between missions AS-205 and AS-207/208".

"Both missions AS-204 and AS-205 are essentially long duration system validation flights. AS-207/208 is the first of a series of very complicated missions. A valid operational requirement exists to include an optical equal-period rendezvous on AS-205. The rendezvous would be similar to the one initially planned for the Gemini VII flight using, in this case, the S-IVB as the target vehicle." The maneuver would give the crew an opportunity to examine the control dynamics, visibility, and piloting techniques required to perform the basic AS-207/208 mission.