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SUBJECT: MOL Contractor Information 

,101110111■11•1111M.111• 

BYE-36592/65 

As a result of meetings held on 30 June 1965, 

the following instructions were received from Dr. 

Flax concerning information to be provided to 

Secretary Zudkert. 

Dr. Flax indicated that the Secretary had 

asked the following questions: 

a. 'What does the laboratory vehicle 

contractor do? 

b. What was contemplated in the RFP 

for the preliminary design studies as to the tasks 

that the laboratory vehicle contractor would 

perform? 

c. What are the tasks now contemplated, 

i.e., what has changed since 25 January 1965? 

The inswers to these queatione are incorporated in 

TAB A. 

Secretary Zuckert then asked that two oases 

be prepared by the Source Selection Board: 

a. The arguments for contractor *A*. 

b. The arguments for contractor "A* as 

the prime laboratory vehicle contractor with 

contractor "D" cast as a subcontractor to contractor "A". 

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Our instructions were that these two oases should 

be prepared as affirmatively as possible by 

advocates of the two arrangements outlined above 

use cases ere appended as TAB Bend TAB C. 

BARRY L. VANS 

Brigadier General, USAF 

Special Assistant for NEM 

3 Atchs 

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Dr. Flax 

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TAB A 

UESTIONt What doe. the<r l to vehicle contractor do? 

ANSWER: 

The laboratory vehicle contractor does the following 

1. Detailed systems engineering of the laboratory 

vehicle. 

2, Prepare system and end item 

requirement speoifications 

3. Systeme integration, assembly, checkout of the 

orbiting vehicle (the composite of the laboratory vehiole and 

the Gemini B), 

4. Design, tool for, fabricate, and build the 

aboratory vehicle. 

5. Design, tool for, fabricate, and build the 

associated ground equipment of the laboratory. 

6, Provide such system Simulators and trainer* 

are required for the laboratory vehicle. 

7. Develop and perform assuranoe testing, qualifi* 

cation testing, reliability testing of all components and 

subsystems of the laboratory and in addition responsible far 

the integration of the Gemini B and transtag* (if used in a 

complete environmental and thermal cheekout prior to delivery 

to launch site. 

8.. Plight test operations of the MOL vehicle 

including the major subsystems inherent in the vehicle 

structure which include such things as navigation equlpment, 

power supply, life support, attitude control, computers, data 

display and control, and payload integration. During on orbit 

flight he would be responsible for successfUl operetion of 

the on-orbit vehicle during its orbital life, 

9. Participation as an associate contractor in the 

launch operation. (Martin Company will be the launch 

conductor.) 

10. Responsible for tying in such equipment and 

instrumentation as are necessary in the orbiting vehicle to 

provide adequate communications telemetry, tracking and 

control during on-orbit lire. 

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11. Quality control, reliability, value engineering 

task* as are identified with the above responsibilities, 

12. Laboratory vehiele system management including 

cost control, schedule, reporting, documentation, configure,. 

tion management* 

QUESTIONt What tas were contemplated in the RIP?

: 

The tasks outlined above were contemplated is the MP 

which was issued on 25 January 1965 and were also covered in 

the work statement issued the sans data for the preliminary 

design studies to be accomplished, The tasks were broadly 

stated and included integration of the eXPoriments idouttriAd 

es P-1 through P-15 as well as scientific and tiehnoloVical 

experiments for Von and NASA. The ROL concept at that time 

contemplated the laboratory vehicle as an all purpose 

experiments carrier. The •contractor mem not given sensitive 

information concerning optical rem issenoe and was not 

Wormed that the primary objective of the IKM program was high 

resolution Photogrsphie manned reconnaissance. 

MEa What )mot been the change in concept the 

aboratory viehiele MP? 

Maas 

At this time the concept far the/I:Mhos began sOdifled 

to this extent: 

1. It appears that the transtage wi be 

required during the enorbit flight. Trenetage will be used 

for injection into initial orbit only. 

2. The initial objective of the Ha Program is to 

develop and demonetrate an operationally useful high re u. 

tion manned reconnaleasnce system. The flight test objectives 

for the first three flights are aimed toward this objective. 

There will be an associate optical wit*" *entracte, who will, 

during Project Definition, work with the laboratory vehicle 

contractor to provide further engineering on two possible 

sensor systems, 

a. A tracking mirror with its Nth 

expanding structure and environmental central. 

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b. A complete sensor pointing system 

including a large gimbal, powar gyros, expanding structure 

and equipment control. 

A decision on which sensor approach is to proceed into 

II will be made late in CT 1965. 

Additional a4litaz7 missions in areas of MUT and 

Ocean 3urveillance are of socomhalrpricrity. No specific 

flight test program tar these has born donned 

Dal) and XASA scientific experiments are at tertiary 

priority. No specific flight tont prop, for these 

objectives has been defined. 

Dolan 

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TABS 

RATIOWALS FOR SE NCTION OF CONTRACTOR ItAw 

Selection of contractor sAs far the PDP and followw.on 

Phase II for the ROL progrma is based on two several oensidera 

tionas 

1. The merits of his peeliminary design laud,. 

2. The advantages to accrue to the program during 

POP and Phase 12 as a result of his selection. 

Analysis of the evelustion of the eompeting preliminary 

design studies shows that contreotor "As is clearly the winner 

by a formal System Source Selection Board competitive evolve:ties* 

for the following reasons* 

1. Contractor *A* provided a marked] 'superior 

mmulogpsent plan. 

2. Contractor 1A* had the outstanding coot analysis 

and cost control plan. 

3. Although second overall teohntoally contractor 

*A* had the best laboratory vehicle design. This is the 

principal hardware item he is to produee, 

4. Contrattor sAS has the finest and most complete 

facilities for conducting the proms all ocloPulf flmismold. 

5. Contractor *As provided the moat eawprehensive 

suggestions for revision to the Mr systas design speetiftea. 

tionss indicating the clearest understanding of the program 

objective*. 

6. Of all the design studios, contractor we had 

the fewest areas requiring aarreettAva. and is competent to do 

the Jab. 

The following advantages will *serve to the proems by 

selecting contractor *A" as the winner now: 

1. Tient prow= definition. 

2. Provides the opportunity tar the DoD to sake 

early and -aninhibited technical and aanageabent decisions. 

3.. Allows early commitment of complete contractor 

resources support to the pc/Ares - people, facilities, and 

money, 

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4. Earliest selection of most competent dveloPsent team available. 

5. Minimises interfeees. sisilirlea management 

struature. 

6. Most effective use of limited DoD technical 

and managerial peoPlo. 

T. Directs management attention on the higher risk 

sensor development. and is consistent with the lesser risk in 

the leboratorY vehicle. 

8. Avoids vesting time, money and talent in 

duplicate engineering for existing qualified components. A 

preponderance of the tasks under mo fall into this eategory. 

9. Allows laboratory vehiele contractor to get in 

step with Titan III. e x L. contract. 

10. Alaximises opportunity for progress toward fully 

structured incentive contract during PDF, including most 

realistic coat projection. 

11. Simplifies security control. 

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TAB Or 

nienctuut FOR mono comacrom -*An MW.. itzt° 

The advantages or **looting contrmotor A* as the winner 

and.augmenting his capabilities with these of contractor VI 

are: 

1. Preserves the essential tages of having 

contractor we now (see TAB BO. 

2. Provides a strong team by augmenting the 

capabilities of contrast or me with the complimentary 

Wattles of oontractor wr« Per sxamples 

a. Contractor *A*p ideas 

*The best laberatery vehicle design. 

*Extensive integration emperienee on 

major *grans, 

*Strong, vertically oriented nenagenen 

or 

*An exaellent AGE Develop=t Plan. 

*The outstanding P 1 end 11 Program 

plans 

*The best *eat analysis and cost son of 

b. Contractor le provides special eampll 

mutter, capabilities such ass 

*fieettanaisienos data retrieval. 

*Expo:risme in engineering design of 

payload nodules. 

*EXPINtiSO in stabilisation and attitude 

requirements imposed by optical toms. 

3. Exploits the unique operational eXPwienoill a 

contractor w in current unmanned programs of a similar 

mature. 

4. Thom contractors possess the most extensive 

*misting test facilities among the **opening aentracters. 

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5. Contractor "VI provides a pool of specially cleared 

People, allowing immediate action on interface problems with 

sensor contractor. 

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