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Celltral System 

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MEMORANDUM FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE 

(RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT) 

SUBJECT: Initiation of MOL Contract Definition Phase 

Attached are three documents which I recommend for your 

signature. TAB A is a proposed memorandum for Or. Brown, 

intended to provide background information to support DDR&E 

release of funds for initiation of MOL Contract Definition Phase 

1B and continuation of Pre-MOL activities. The document is also 

intended to be responsive to your requirements in connection with 

SAF-RD approval of VOL final procurement action. Appended to 

TAB A is a proposed memorandum requesting DDR&E release of 

$62. Million of MOL RDT&E funds. TAB B is a proposed draft of 

the desired SAF-RD approval. 

3 2 Atchs 

1. TAB A w/1 Atch 

2. TAB B-4,,e'r 44T/115 cy 

HARRY L. EVANS 

Brigadier General, USAF 

Vice Director, MOL 

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MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTOR DEFENSE' RESEARCH AND ENGDEERING 

SUBJECT: Initiation of MOL Contract Definition Phase (CDP) 

MOL procurement is currently limited to those tasks associated 

with Gemini and Titan III-C. The following additional major procurements, exclusive of actions associated with experiment development, are anticipated during the MOL Contract Definition Phase: 

Laboratory Vehicle System - Douglas 

Mission Module and Payload ...General Electric, plus an 

additional contractor not yet selected. 

Other contracting, in the areas of flight crew equipment, 

mission control equipment, test support, system analysis, and 

facilities, is also anticipated. These actions have not been 

identified with specific contractors at this time. 

In his June 28, 1965 memo to the Secretary of Defense requesting authority to proceed with Phase IB of the 50L Program, Secretary 

Zuckert requested seven specific approvals, among which were: 

1. "Authorization for the Project Definition Phase." 

2. "Authorisation and release of $39.2 millionof MOL 

RDT&E funds ($16.2 million deferred FY 65 funds; $23.0 million 

Fr 66 funds) to implement Project Definition and continue with 

Pre-MOL activities." 

The estimated $39.2 million in RDT&E costs was established 

assuming a single laboratory vehicle CDP contractor, was exclusive of payload costs, and assumed a six-month Contract Definition 

Phase. The selection of General Electric as a second major associate contractor, in conjunction with the extension of Aerospace 

Corporation GSE/TD support beyond the first half of Fr 66 and a 

seven-month Contract Definition Phase, has had the effect of 

increasing estimated Phase ID costs by $22.8 million. The present 

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estimated RDT&E cost to implement MOL Phase IB and to continue 

Pre -MOL activities is $62.0 million. The following table provides 

a break-out of anticipated costs: 

T-III-C $ 7.0 million 

Gemini 7.0 million 

Laboratory Vehicle 12.0 million 

Mission Module & Payload 12.0 million 

Flight Crew & Equipment ----- 1.0 million 

Facilities 0.5 million 

System Analysis 2.0 million 

Mission Control Equipment 0.5 million 

Test Support 0.5 million 

GSE/TD 7.0 million 

Navy 2.0 million 

Pre-MOL 10.5 million 

TOTAL $ 62.0 million 

The areas of responsibility of the laboratory vehicle and 

mission module contractors are outlined in SAF Memorandum to 

Secretary of Defense, subject: MOL Management, dated August 24, 

1965. Briefly, the laboratory vehicle contractor is concerned 

with orbital vehicle integration, laboratory vehicle design and 

fabrication, subsystem acquisition and integration, command/ 

control considerations, system test, laboratory vehicle AGE, 

integration of certain mission module elements, booster and 

capsule interface design, and related areas. The mission 

module contractor is responsible for mission module design and 

fabrication, module requirements and AGE, payload data processing, payload control station design, payload environmental control, a reconnaissance simulator, interface requirements, 

payload pointing equipment, and related subjects. 

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The required product of MOL Phase I activity can be defined 

in general terms as the following: 

1. A carefully refined baseline description of the MOL 

System to which all future MDL acquisition activities cat be 

related -- the Ma System Performance/DesigkRequirements 

Specification. 

2. A Proposed. System Package Plan and supporting documentation, appropriate for use as a basis for a decision by higher 

authority on postXpe MOL activities. 

3. Engineering, design, and analysis work, to include 

detailed design and drawings for certain long lead time itwas, 

definition of all contract end items (CEI), and the Performance 

and Design Requirements Section (Part I) of each CEI Specification. 

4. A PERT System for application during the acquisition 

phase. 

5. Firm Statements of Work, and firm proposals from 

participating contractors for the conduct of Phase II of MDL 

System Acquisition. 

The following is a brief summary of contractual events to date: 

1. Titan III efforts as they pertain to MOL Phase I 

activities are currently under contract. 

2. The McDonnell contract for Gemini B definition has 

been issued. 

3. At a meeting with SSD on Tuesday, 31 August, the 

Request for Proposal (REP) and Work Statement on the Laboratory 

Vehicle were discussed and released to Douglas. Douglas is to 

respond to SSD, approximately 20 September, with their definitive 

proposal for the Contract Definition Phase. Negotiations will 

follow immediately thereafter with an effective contract date 

planned no later than 1 October. All contract end items 

required to enter Phase IC will be delivered five months after 

the effective start date. Actual contract duration is expected 

to be seven months. 

4. The RFP/Work Statement on the Mission Module will be 

completed and released to General Electric on or about September 13. Again, procurement events are scheduled to allow for an 

effective contract date no later than 1 October. It is anticipated 

that work will be complete for purposes of entry into Phase IC 

five months after go-ahead. 

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5. The contract schedules on the other system segments 

required for the Definition Phase are not as well defined at this 

time; neither are they as time critical as the major associate 

contracts mentioned above. 

To implement the MOL Definition Ph.ase and to continue with 

Pre-MOL activities on current schedules, it is necessary to effect 

immediate release of the initial increment of approved MOL funds. 

The enclosed request asks for release of $62.0 million. Any funds 

remaining of this total at the completion of Phase I would be 

applied, with the remaining $100 million of FY 66 appropriated 

funds, to satisfy Phase II requirements. 

Attachment il is a Memorandum for Director Defense Research 

and Engineering requesting release of approved MOL funds. 

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