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C()lfT~OL iYITUI 

. yl, NATl~NAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D,C, 

. l~ Ar.;•. ,J_,J 

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OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR 

March 15, 1969 

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR SAFSP 

FOR THE DIRECTOR, CIA RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAMS 

SUBJECT: HEXAGON Management 

As the HEXAGON Program has proceeded and working relationships between the System Project Office ·(SPO) and the Sensor 

Subsystem Project Office (SSSPO) have evolved in a generally 

satisfactory fashion, it has become apparent that some differences 

of interpretation may still exist as to the intent of the Management Plan for this system which I issued on April 30, 1966. 

I believe that the overall ·assignments of responsibility in ·i 

this plan, as regards the design, development and procurement 

aspects of the program, are quite clear and generally agreed to. 

On t_he· other hand, a difference of interpretation seems to have 

arisen with respect to the orbital operations phase. In the design, development and procurement phases of the HEXAGON Program 

the Management Plan makes quite clear that the SSSPO is responsible to the DNRO and not to the System Project Director (.SPD) for 

technical and performance matters wholly internal to the sensor 

subsystem. At the same time, the SPD is charged with responsibility for overall system engineering and system integration including the definition of interface specifications between the 

sensor subsystem and the· other elements of the system. 

The Management Plan is explicit in assigning total responsibility to the System Project Director during on-orbit operation 

of the HEXAGON system, although it is also stated-that the SPD 

will normally assign responsibility for the sensor operation 

including analyses of sensor technical difficulties -to the senior 

SSSPO representative as "the principal sensor assistant to the 

SPD." rt is clearly stated in the Manag~ment Plan that "the SPD 

is the final field authority during a mission operation from 

launch through recovery" and that in launch.and on-orbit operations among other things, "the SSSPO is expected to 1;:>e responsive 

to appropriate direction ;from the SPD. 0 · 

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The Management Plan also states that the SPD will utilize 

the services of the Aerospace Corporation in a general engineering role. To accomplish this, it was specified that "Aerospace 

Corporation employees supporting the SPO shall have free access 

to information and data from the SSSPO and the sensor subsystem 

contractors but shall exercise no technical influence or judgment of matters internal to the sensor subsystems and shall not 

be charged by the SPD with advising him on such matters." It 

is further stated that "the exchange of information contemplated 

herein will in many case's require direct contact with contractor 

engineering staffs at the contractor plants and test facilities. 

However, all such direct contacts must be ~oordinated through 

the government agency responsible for c.ontractor supervision. 

Such coordination is to be for purposes of informing the responsi-

_ble agency and permitting full participation or monitoring of . such direct contacts; however, the SPO and SSSPO should each honor 

_the requests of the other for any item of information or any~- quired direct communication with contractors." During a mission 

such direct contact with contractor field personnel at the Satellite Test Center, Sunnyvale, is clearly required and should be 

provided under the provisions of the HEXAGON Management Plan. 

The requirement on both the SPO and the SSSPO to provide both 

free flow of information and direct communication with their con-

·, tractors as required, applies in all aspects of the HEXAGON Pro-

; it is particularly compelling on the orbital operations .>::::.,,--

p ase where the operational situation permits little or no delay 

in such communication. 

The SPD has prepared a plan for the conduct of on-orbit 

·operations under which the Aerospace Corporation will provide 

engineering support for overall systems engineering in relation 

to mission performance. This will be done by utilizing small 

staffs at the Satellite Control Facility representing each major 

subsystem contractor. The sensor subsystem contractor staff is 

to be provided by the SSSPO at a level of effort agreed to with 

the SPD. This contractor staff will remain under the contractual 

control and administrative supervision,of the SSSPO. Overall·· 

Aerospace Corporation access to all subsystem contractor staffs 

is neCJ:lssary in order to assure coordinated and integrated 

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monitoring, control, and data analysis on a continuous basis , throughout a mission, It is not· intended or permitted under the 

Management Plan that the Aerospace Corporation will be the ~uthority on the internal functioning of the sensor subsystem. In 

particular, when a malfunction occurs in the sensor subsystem, 

the SPD, in accordance with the Management Plan, will normally 

consult with the senior designated representative of the SSSPO. 

However, an assessment of the overall performance of the many 

systems which interface and interact with the sensor subsystem 

cannot be made without d~tailed knowledge of conditions within 

• the sensor subsystem, Moreover, any action to correct deficiencies in the sensor subsystem (if these ar~ identified during the 

mission)or in subsequently delivered units of the sensor subsystem, 

will be entirely the responsibility of the SSSPO but must also be 

coordinated with the SPO and the Aerospace Corporation for interface control and system integration. 

The foregoing plan of operations is entirely consistent with 

the HEXAGON Management Plan. Provision of sensor on-orbit performance and operational data during a mission to Aerospace representatives charged with advising the SPD on the overall system 

performance is in accordance with the assignment of overall responsibility for on-orbit operations to the SPD (and is in fact 

:essential to the exercise of this responsibility) and is in 

accordance with the provision for free exchange of information 

,and the requirement that the SPO and the SSSPO should each honor 

the requests of the other for any item of information or any required direct communication with contractors. The Management Plan 

makes clear, and I have restated in a meeting on January 10, 1968 

at which NRO staff, SAFSP and CIA personnel were present, that 

during the conduct of HEXAGON missions no division of management 

responsibility is acceptable and that the SPD is unequivocally 

responsible for the conduct of on-orbit operations . 

.. Although analogies between different types of systems are 

not always the best way to illustrate a point, I believe that : 

the typical relationship between an airframe· and engine contractor, each under direct and separate ·.contracts t_o the government, provides a good analogy to some aspects of the system/subsystem organizational relationships in the HEXAGON Program, 

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Typically, the engine contractor provides to the airframe 

program office and the airframe ~ontractor complete computer 

programs describing the operation of the engine over the entire 

range of environmental and operational conditions, including' 

data on internal engine operating conditions which may be susceptible to measurement and diagnosis in flight or ground tests, 

The airframe program office may or may-·not be responsible for 

the engine contract (which in the DoD is often held by a different Service from the:one procuring the airframe and other 

subsystems). In any event, such exchange of detailed information on the propulsion subsystem is not for the purpose of permitting the airframe program office or the airframe contractor 

to redesign internal elements of the engine such as compressors, 

turbines, or combustors and has never, to my knowledge, resulted 

in such action. 

Analogously, the SPD and his systems engineering support 

contractor must have available to them for on-orbit operation 

all pertinent operating data on the sensor subsystem in its 

normal operating modes and all possible means for identification correction of malfunctions or out-of-specification performance in any major subsystem interfacing with the sensor subsystem 

including, but not limited to, power, thermal control, attitude 

control, command and telemetry. During on-orbit operations when 

a malfunction is specifically localized to the sensor subsystem, 

the SPD will normally be expected, as specified in the Management 

Plan, to consult with the senior SSSPO representative in his 

capacity as principal sensor subsystem advisor to the SPD during 

on-orbit operations. Moreover, when other than normal sensor 

operation must be undertaken in order to compensate for malfunctions in any other subsystem for the purpose of obtaining the 

maximum overall operational collection effectiveness, the senior 

· sssro representative will also normally be consulted prior to taking any action. Aerospace Corporation system engineering personnel will not be responsible for matters internal to the sensor 

subsystem in this sense. However, since any action taken to 

correct sensor subsystem malfunctionin~may affect other subsy_stems essentia_l to performance of the ··mission, it is absolutely 

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essential that they, as overall system engineering contractors, 

be as fully informed as possible on all aspects of corrective 

measures contemplated in the sensor subsystem for the purpose 

of assuring that such measures will not by the effect on other 

subsystems degrade rather than improve overall mission collection 

effectiveness. By the same token, in order to assure that no 

adverse effects on sensor performance result from out of specification performance or malfunctions of other subsystems, it is 

essential that the senior representative of the SSSPO be fully 

informed on all subsystem status reports and all contemplated 

abnormal modes of operation to the same extent as the SPD himself.· 

The HEXAGON Management Plan provides fully'for such information 

to be made available to any designated representative of the SPO 

or the SSSPO and their contractors. 

I stated at the time of issuance of the original Management 

Plan that its successful implementation would require the wholehearted cooperation of both CIA and SAFSP. I believe that in 

general we have had.that cooperation with respect to the ongoing development and procurement effort. There has been a 

natural tendency to view on-orbit operations, since they lie in 

the future, as an area for protracted negotiation as to the fine 

details of working relationships. Since we are now at a point 

where definite and positive arrangements must be made for on-

-orbit operation, the time has clearly come to pin down these 

working relationships and to proceed with implementation of operational plans, In view of the major national investment in the 

HEXAGON system and the high degree to which we are depending upon · it• as a major component of our total intelligence collection capability, I believe it is essential for both the SPO and the'SSSPO 

to make final these plans and working arrangements·for operations 

in accordance with the original HEXAGON Management Plan, which the· 

foregoing discussion may clarify but does not change. 

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TOP SECRET HANDLE V1A 

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CONTROL SYSTEM 

RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

THE NR0 STAFF March 12, 1969 

HANDLE VIA 

DR. FLAX 

We thought you would want to personally sponsor the attached 

memoranda for signature by Mr. Packard and Dr. Seamans. 

The first designates Dr. McLucas the Director, National 

Reconnaissance Office and replaces the October 1, 1965 letter 

signed by Mr. Vance which is included for your reference at 

Tab A. 

The second refers to the first and delegates to Dr. McLucas 

{1) full directive authority over all activities of SAFSS and SAFSP 

and (2} the authority to act for the Secretary on all Air Force 

matters associated with the NRO and/or within the purview of the 

NRP, including the MOL reconnaissance payloads. This memorandum would replace that signed by Dr. Brown on November 9, 

1965 (see Tab B). 

'h·~11 

WILLIAM R. YOST 

Lt Colonel, USAF 

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