NRO APPROVED FOR 

RELEASE 1 JULY 2015 

INIMMIESIMporop 

January 9, 1967 

MEMORANDUM TO SAF-SLP (Colonel Randall) 

SUBJECT: Action Items from Last MOL Program Review 

I suggest the following text for your memorandum for record on 

the past meeting; 

1. MOL Participation in NASA's Orbital Workshop 

A review of the actions taken to date together with a description 

of the NASA program and the three MOL-sponsored experiments was presented. 

A proposal has been received from Douglas to prepare the three experiments 

(Integrated Maintenance Equipment, Suit-Donning and Sleep Station Evaluation, and Evaluation of Alternate Restraints) for a sum of $3.2 million. 

The SPO estimate is $2.8 plus $1.15 for use for integration, space suits, 

and contract changes. A number of NASA program changes which might affect 

Air Force participation were discussed. The most significant were that 

AML will be billed for integration costs, and that because of the inclusion 

of the mapping and survey system DOD policy precludeS the use of a MO]. 

astronaut on the Orbital Workshop. After extensive discussions of various 

options, ranging from continued participation, through scope reduction, 

to Complete Air Force withdrawal, it was decided that: 

a. The MCI Systems Office will reexamine the validity and usefulness of including an active molecular sieve, particularly in light of the 

absence of a Mae astronaut. Pending a final decision on the V-018 experiment, the Systems Office will proceed on a letter contract basis with 

Douglas for the entire package while negotiating the experiments contract. 

b. The Vice Director, MOL will explore with NASA the possibility 

of having them assume the experiment integration costs, making that, or 

at least a firm fixed integration cost agreement, a condition of MOL's 

continued participation. 

ACTION: General Evans/Colonel Edwards. 

SUSPENSE DATE: Next MOL Program Review. 

2. Tracking Mission Thermal Distortion 

A review of the tracking mission distortion problems due to earth 

reflected energy absorption was presented. Various designs of mechanisms 

to minimize thermal distortions were discussed. Most concepts, although 
NRO APPROVED FOR 

RELEASE 1 JULY 2015 

mechanically highly complicated, were insufficient to reduce the distortions to acceptable levels so as to keep the system at a performance level without degradation in time. A GE proposed combination of 

louvres and a pitch mask when used with Cer-Vit material for the mirror 

appears to provide satisfactory performance. It was decided to institute 

a design incorporating a pitch mask and institute action required to 

insure that Cer-Vit is suitable backup for fused silica. This engineering 

solution will be reexamined in February pending the generation of more 

data from GE, EK, DAC, and review of Cer-Vit progress. 

ACTION: Colonel Reran. 

SUSPENSE DATE: Next Program Review. 

MICHAEL I. YARYMOVYCH 

Technical Director 

MOL Program 

2 

Id I 
REL JULY 

ZCZCFTC595/0923452 

BT 

XXXXX 

T 092 2 12 

WHIG 

DORIAN SECUR 

CHARGE X204 

DELIVERY TO MOEN EVANS BY 000.EST/10 JAN 

SUBJECT: GUIDANCE/DECISIONS FROM Kt MANAGMT 

MEETIN(, 5 JAN 67, THE PURPOSE OF TiqI7, Y:SSAGE IS TO 

DOCUMENT MY UNDERSTANDING OF. THE DECIF,c7, ',CADE OR 

GUIDANCE GIVEN TOTE SRO AS A RESULT- OF SUBJECT ,!EETI'4. 

UNLESS INFORMED TO THE CC, 7PARY,. I WILL ASSUk, THAT 

IT ARE IN-:MUTUAL ACPEEENT 71ITH THE uNCERSTANDING AS ouT., 

LINED BELOW: 

A. I AM AUTHOR1227.i TO PROCEED AGAINST THE FY 67 FiYnING. 

LEVEL OF 228.4 NL,' PtuS 52.0 CARRYOVER FUNDS FCR A TOTAL 

OF 286.0. FOR FY 19:511e, I MAY PROCEED ON A PLANNED 

EXPENDITURE RATE OF 587.0; HOWEVER,,A DECISION WILL BE 

MADE DURING THE JUNE/JULY TIME PERIOD AS TO WHETHER 

OR NOT IT VILL BE REQUIRED TO LEVEL OFF THE CONTRACTOR 

EFFORT AT THE. 510.0M LEVEL OR SOME HIGHER AVOW IT TO BE 

3ETERMINED. 

B. THE REED VAS ,RECOGNIZEO FOR MINIMIZING EARLY FISCAL' 

YEAR- FUNDING REQUIREMENTS THROUGH THE USE OF SPECIAL • 

XAUSES IN DUR MA,, CONTRACTS, BOTH BLACK AND VITT, 

MICH WILL x1Low SPO TO PLACE ON CONTRACT ONLY THOSE 

rUTS NECL:FRY ')VER THE CONTRACTMS'S EXPENDITURES AND 

:ARNEO F-7r. :J -.7rD THAT THE AFSC PROCUREMENT 

XWITTEE BEE:''.:2QUESTED TO REVIEW AM. CONCUR IN 

HE USE OF A SPECIAL CLAOSE'CONCERNING SUBCONTRACTS ' 

OR TRITE CONTRACTS. IS TO DIRECT INCLOSIDN'OF AN 

PPROVED CLAUSE IN THE BLACK CONTRACTS TO PERMIT NOT FUNDING. , 

RIME CONTRACTOR TERMATION.LIABILITY. not7EVER, SHOULD EITHER 
NRO APPROVED FOR 

RELEASE 1 JULY 2015 

OF THESE EFFORTS NOT CE FRUITFUL, YOU WILL INTERCEDE . 

TO DIRECT THE NECESSARY ACTION TO ACHIEVE. THIS OBJECTIVE. 

C. OUR PLAN wAs APPROVED FOR DEFINITIZING THE ITEMS .. 

DEFERRED FROM THE BASIC CONTRACTS NEGOTIATIONS ON A 

TIMELY BASIS PRIOR TO THE END OF FY 1967. 

D. WE WILL CONTINUE 70 PARTICIPATE WITH NASA'S S-IVB 

SPENT STAGE PROGRAM; HOWEVER,, THE SPO WILL RE-JUSTIFY THE. 

MOLECULAR SIEVE EXPERIMENT. YOUR OFFICE WILL DISCUSS WITH 

NASA THE POSSIBILITY OF NASA ABSORBING THE INTEGRATION 

• COST ASSOCIATED WITH MOL EXPERIMENTS OR TO GET A FIXED PRICE 

commITmENT FOR THE EFFORT- IF THESE ARE TO BE MOL FUNDED*: NO. 

MOL ASTRONAUTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE S-IVB PROGRAM. 

E. RELATIVE TO THE DATA READ-DOwN SYSTEM. AND THE DATA 

RECOVERY VEHICLE, THE SPO WILL CONTINUE WITH BOTH SYSTEMS 

IN THE BASELINE PROGRAM UNTIL 1 APRIL. WHILE CBS IS UNDER 

CONTRACTUAL COVERAGE UNTIL 1 APRIL, THE DOUGLAS STUDY 

EFFORT TERMINATED IN LATE DEC 1966* IN ORDER TO INSURE THE 

NECESSARY DESIGN INTEGRATION MX IS EXECUTED, CONTRACTUAL' 

COVERAGE FOR THIS EFFORT wITH DOUGLAS IS TO BE IMPLEmENTED*' 

THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EFFORT AND THE IMPACT OF. 

DELAYING IT UNTIL THE DECISION DATE OF 1 APRIL 141.1: BE 

ASSESSED .BY THE SPCA AND WILL BE FORWARDED TO YOU FOR YOUR 

INFORMATION. 

F. WE WILL CONTINUE THE DESIGN APPROACH FOR THE TERMAL. 

DOOR AS BRIEFED. THIS ITEM ;TILL BE REVIEWED AT THE' NEXT' 

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT MEETING. 

G. CONCERNING THE ACOUSTIC AND. VIBRATION TESTING, WE %IRE, 

AUTHORIZED TO PROTECT THE LONG LEAD-TIME ITEMS Fp:A:LOW , 

LEVEL ACOUSTIC TEST FACILITY AT EX AT AN ROV COST OF 

• $200,00O. IT UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WORD WOULD BE CARRIED' 

OuT IN. SUCH A MANNER AS NOT TO PRECLUDE TOE OPTION OF A 

HIGHER LEVEL ACOUSTIC CAPABILITY FOLLOwING FURTHER REVIEW. 

THE PLAN FOR LOW LEVEL ACDUSTICACCEPTANCf TESTING OF THE ' 

MISSION MODULE AND VIBRATION TESTING OF THE LAB MODULE 

WAS AGREED uPON. ADDITIONALLY, 7•1 WERE TO PROVIDE CONTRACTOR 

COSTS OF INCORPC2ATING A LAB„mODULE QUALIFICATION PROGRAM 

BASED BOTH ON QUAL LEVEL TESTING AND FLIGHT LEVEL TESTING: 

THE PLAN FOR Ln':i LEVEL LABORATORY VEHICLE SYSTEM VIBRATION 

ACCEPTANCE TESTING EY USING RANDOM ExITATION IT SELECTED 

POINTS AND UTILIZING AN ELASTIC, RESTRAINT SUPPORT (BUNGEE) 

WAS ALSO APPROVED. • 

H. THE SUPPORT MODULE WAS APPROVED AS BRIEFED. 

I. THE SPO IS TO PROVIDE A PROCUREMENT PLAN WITH FY 

FUNDING LEVEL THil WOULD .COVER THE COTINGENCIES OF 

-FAILIPE OF FLIGHT 1 OR THE'CONTINGENCY THAT DUE TO 

FAILURE OF ONE OF THE MANNED fLIGHTS, THE DESIRABILITY 

OF mAKING FLIGHTS 6 OR 7 MANNED FLIGHTS. THE MANNED ruw. 

6 OR 7 WOULD BE .ACCOMPLISHED BY PARALLEL VEHICLE PROCUREMENT, 

LEAVING THE PRESENT FLIGHT 610R 7 ARTICLE FOR LATER USE,, • 
NROAPPROVEOPOW: 

RELEASE 1 JULY 2015 

THIS IS TO BE ACCOMPL 'SHED BY BUYING THE NECESSARY HARDWARE 

AS PART OF THE FOLLOW—OH PROGRAM* 

J. APPROVAL WAS GRANTET TO pppcup WITH THE ACQUISITION 

AND TRACKING SYSTEM AS BR IEFEO.::GE HAS NEGOTIATED WITH ITEK: 

OR A CONTRACT COST OF. 7.5 WIT:. IS. ESTIMATED THAT THE GE 

INTEGRATION COSTS WILL BE APPROXIMATELY. 6.0M AND THE 

ODUnLAS INTEGRATION COST. IS ESTIMATED ALSO AT 4,-.0m FOR 

TOTAL OF 19.'5M. 30.01 FOR, GE ANI5 6.0M FOR DOUGLAS HAD 644 

SET ASIDE FOR THtS TASK. 

AUTHORITY WAS GRANTED TO PROCEED ON THE SIMULATION 

PROGRAM AS PRESENTED. HOWEVER t;DR, FLAX EXPRESSED A4 INTEREST 

14 SR INGI NG AN AIRCRAFT $42ULATION. INTO, THE PROGRAM* WE .,.. 

ARE INVESTIGATING THE FEASIBILITY AND WILL ADVISE YOU. 

L. SECRETARY BROWN. WAS FORWAROING TO THE SECIDEF OUR 

REQUEST FOR A DX RATING, 

M. ACT ION FOR EXPED 1 TI NG THEMOL7AUTHOR O'Y TO PROCEED 

IS BEING TAKES BY YOUR pFFICE4, 

,SECRCT 

ET