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CORONA

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Drat Yemorzndum.

MENORANDUM FOR: DIRECTOR 07 RECONNAISSANCE, CIA

D:azcToR 07 SPEC:AL PROJECTS-, SAP

SUBJECT: CORONA Management Plan • and Organizational

Responsibilities

The purpose of this memorandum is to set forth the CORONA

management arrangements and assignments of system responsibilities

which were approved. by the NRP Executive Committee on April 26,

1966.

There follow specific instructions and guidance on CORONA

management and assignments- of system/sub-system responsibilities.

PROGRAYINANAGEMENT:

The Director, SAFSP, is designated as the CORONA System

Project Director (SPD). In addition, the SPD will direct and

supervise the development and/or production of various sub-systems

as defined herein. The Director, SAFSP, will establish a

CORONA System Project Office MO) to discharge assigned

functions and responsibilities, and will appoint•a Deputy

Director, SA: SP, for CCRONA who will manage the day-to-day

activities of the SPO.

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The Director of Reconnaissance, CIA, will direct and

supervise the development and/or production of the CORONA

Payload Sub-Assembly, as defined herein, reporting directly

to the DNRO. The Director o2 Reconnaissance, CIA, will establish

a CORONA Payload Sub-Assembly Project Office (MAP0), and

designate a Chief thereof, responsive and responsible through

hin to the DNRO for the total Payload Sub Assembly development

and production and to the SPD for overall system matters, as

set forth below.

SPEC7177C SYSTEM RESPONSTELITIES:

The D'recto,-, SAPS?, as SPD, is responsible for: overall

system angineering (Including master system specifications) and

system integration (includingmajor sub-system interface specifican

ti ..); overall system master ?lanniag, progrAn-ming, and budgeting

assembly and check-out of the system at the launch pad; launch

and mission operations; capsule recovery and :delivery of film

to DNEO-desisnated processing facil4t4es.

7- addition, tha SPD is respansible for: the thrust-assisted

'=Z:2 ar.4 =RAD boosers; the AG= booster/spacecradt; procurement

of the DISIC; the acquisition and a?eration of system assembly

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(excluding the LYSC-AP facility) and launch facilities; on-orbit

command and control facilities; and capsule recovery forces and

equipments.

The Director, PSAPO, is responsible throUgh the Director

of Reconnaissance, CIA, to the DYRO for the total Payload SubAssembly development, production (excludes procurement of the

' Z.:SIC) and test; the provision of software support to the NRO

Satellite Operations Center before,' during, aid after missions;

operation of the LY.SC-AP r. cility; and for adherence to master

system specifications, interface specifications, and master

project plans established by the SPD in accordance with the

provisions of this management plan. By definition, the CORONA

Payload Sub-AsseMbly includes the KR-4 cameras, the SI and/or

DISIC, film transport mechanisms, the'RV's, supporting structure

and shell, and those Other items normally installed and tested •

at the LMSC-A2 facility.

In addition, the PSAPC is responsible to the SPD to assist

and =nage, as appropriate, those Payload Sub-AsseMbly system

asseMbly and pre-launch activities at Vandenberg APB, to certify

at appropriate times that the Payload Sub-Assembly is ready, and

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to act as the orincioal Paviced Sub-assembly assistant to the 

VD during pre-mission planning, on-orbit operations, and postmission.analyses.

SAv'. 2/C-7A-CS? RE74.^70X=Er3S:

is no: possible, et thi :1=a, to forecast any future

enrineering/performance trade-offs which may be made as detailed

daegn and develoo-e-t c' :hr.; :-3 CCROY.A proceed. The NRO

oh;; ectve the C010X.:. Pro::ect is to acquire and operate the

overell most effective seerch and surveillande satellite system

possible within the comstraimrs of time, technology, and available

The Payload Su7.)-AsseMbly contains the key element

(i.e., :he came-a) of the systen and, as such, its fundamental

basic structural, dynamic, thermal, power, etc., requirements

must be given proper weight in-determining overall system

convret4 on and characteristics. When the necessity does

arise for a trade-off between tia Payload Sub Assembly and

_:.c:: e= sib-system in :arms cf tetel system performance, the

, lwoys ettemlt fg rstito resolve the problem in such a

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way as to minimize the affect on the sensor. However, such

resolutions of interface problems must always be tested to assure

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that overall system performance is not sariously degraded.

Thus, both the SPD and PSAPO must analyze in terms of total

system effectiveness when considering interface and trade-off

problems.

Ir. this arrangement, the ccacya System Project Director

(SPD) responsibilities will not include sub-system engineering,

technical direction, or contract supervision for the Payload

Sub-Assembly (except for DIS:C procurement); the CIA will be

responsible to the DX20 for thes functions with respect to the

Payload Sub-Assembly. The following discussion of the management

relationships is intended to clarify the division of responsib414t'es:

As stated previously, the SPD will be responsible

for overall system engineering and integration. In this capacity,

he will also be responsible for alI sub-system interfaces. In

such matters, the Payload Sub-Assembly Project Office is expected

to be responsive to appropriate direction from the SPD. However,

the SPD, in the exercise of this interface responsibility, will

give speciLl consideration to the basic environmental requiren=1u of the Payload Sub-Assarbly as established in consultation

.:its the C:A. •

On the other hand, the S7D in not expected to
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accomplish engineering (unless assistance is solicited) on

technical matters pa:tel.-ming solely to the - Payload Sub-Assembly.

SPD actions elsewhere in the system affecting interfaces with

the Payload Sub-AssaM'oly do racuire the concurrence of the PSA20.

Similarly, 2SAPO actions wh'ch a"ect '-lterfaces with other

elements of the system do rem te=a eao concurrence of the SPD.

3. The SPD is respon e ' " ft for master plaraimg, master

programming, and budgeting; howavar, he is not authorized

to alter program Cr budget estimates of the Payload Sub Assembly

Pro!ect Office. Convarsely,the latter is expected to program

and budget im accordance with the master schedules issued by the

C-k-C=T- will YIi budget estimates in the normal

r--anner direct to the MO; however, the SPD will also include

payload r.fh-asse=bly schedules and budget estimates in the

System Projecz Plan for information purposes).

The most significant area of SAFSP/CIA-OSP relationship is

that per wining to interface batman the sensor sub-system and

other system elements. =not emphasize too strongly the

=ad for close daily rapport ber•een the respective offices.

::.resentatives of both offices are al:pected to attemd all

m..Ltimirs cm sub:lects having a possible interface impact. The

and ?SAP.: are expected to have free and full access to al. 

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4 nformation and data pertaining to the system. This includes,

as appropriate, access to contractor planti, enginee .6ng staffs

and test facilities. Eowever, supervision and technical direction

,

• of the controctovs activities will be solely by CIA-OSP for

elements of the Payload Sub-Assembly and by SA ASP for other

system elements. If either SA7S? or CIA-OSP infers a possible

interface action pertaining to any action of the other

expected to so advise the other without delay. When a

problem of this nature is raised, it is to be resolved

delay (if resolution in the field is not possible, the

will be brought to my attention for decision).

Informal and direct communications between apprope

personnel of both the SPO and 2SA:33 must be authorized

encouraged (whe

n opposite project office personnel and

are involved, there must be aplrclriata coordination with the

Govermment Agency supervising each cOntractor(s)).

CN-On'T 0:37MT:OYc:

The SD c?e=ate a con= 0?erations Car:nand Post at the

Satell!..te Test Center, Sunnyvale, continuously during a mission.•

The Paylcad Sub-Assembly Project will station appropriate

3.e„ act t.ffice. and contractor re:resentatives there as well as

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possible

without

matter

late working

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at the LMSC-AP facility during missions. The Satellite Operations

Center in the Pentagon will deal principally and directly with

the CORCNA Commend ?est and the I.Y.SC-A2 faaility, as appropriate,

a mission.

• The S?D is the 4-41-.2 1 field authority du,ing mission

o,..rat 4 on from launch chrough recovery. The SPD is expected,

in normal situatiaas, to assign responsibility to the senior

Payload Sub-Assembly Project Office representative on matters

of payload sub-assemhly readiness, on-orbit operation, analysis

of technical difficulties, etc. The senior Payload Sub-Assembly

Projec= Office representative, in turn, will provide Payload

Suh-Assemhly status reporting or. an asreed-on regular basis or

upon request of tha SPD. Zowever, when there are differenees

of opinion in the case of technical difficulties, and when in

the judgment of the SPD that mission failure may be imminent,

the operational decisions of :ha- STD shall always be overriding

e 't•l".•••4 'r07.1, •

In furtherance of the .7...anzsanant responsibilities assigned

Izarein, both the SP:, and ?SA P3 are authorized to grant CORM

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clearances to Government employees and contractor personnel

under :heir iuri sdiction in accordance with estab/ishe

security policies end procedures. This authority is not further

d = ' ft e ble . elo and ?SAPO shall keep each other and hi gher •

informed on a continuing basis of currant project

• access lists.

The S?D and Pcv*shall each honor, wi thout question, a

mee..--o-;:now A' determination on the port of the other that a

properly cleared person requires access to project information

andior data.

In order to insure consistency in the secur i ty oractices

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jointly by

and PSAPO, a cm= Securizy Guide will be prepared

U. S: and C't-OSP and submitted to the DNRO for

approval as soon as possible. Additional guidance on this

matter will be issued.

ce..1p0pATT.,-.

The SPD 1074 " utilize the services of.Aerospace Corporation

in a general systems engineering role. Aerospace Corporation

employees supporting the WO sha l l have free access to information and at tha Payload Sub-.:..;sanbly contractor(s), but

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shall exercise -o technical influence or judgments over matters

internal to the Payload Sub-Assembly, and ihall not be charged

by the SP: with advising him on such matters.

The exchange of information contemplated herein will

frequently require direct contact by appropriate Aerospace

enployeas with contractor engineering staffs at the PSAPO

contractor p l ants and test facilities. However, all such

direct contacts must be prior-coordinated with the PSAPO. Such

coordination is to be for purposes of informing the PSAPO and

permitting full participation or monitoring of such direct

contacts, but P17.-J0 should honor the requests of the SPD for

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any item of information or any required direct communication

with contractors. The converse applies to the SPD with regard

to similar PS,.:20 requests for direct contact with SP: conCPNBRAL 

Zespite good intentions on both sides, I an sure there w."1

be differences in interpretation of this management directive,

the question of whether or not a problem has interface

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then such an 7...nt-tance arises and cannot be

settled in the field, desire that the problem be called to

my attention promptly for resolution.

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CCRONA

The successful imp ementation of this management arrangen ent will require the whole-hearted cooperation of both CIA

and SAPS!. I enjoin each of you to insure that your respective

subordinates put forth every effort in that vein.

Alexander H. Flax

Director

National Reconnaissance Office

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