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27 July 1965 

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD 

SUBJECT: MOL Policy Questions 

Yesterday, Dr. Hall asked Mr. Friedman to reply to three MOL 

policy questions (see Atch No. 1). I prepared a draft; Mr. Friedman 

reviewed it last evening and final copy was delivered to Colonel Battle 

at 1845 hours (see Atch No. 2). 

This morning, Colonel Battle stated he couldn't use our answers. 

We had prepared them for a Space Council audience (they are Secret); 

actually, he had a press audience in mind. Would we rewrite them! 

We did (see Atch No. 3). 

3 Atchs 

a/s 

PAU WORTHMAN 

Colonel, USAF 

THIS DOCUMENT CLASSIFIED 

UNCLASSIFIED WHEN ATCH 2 

IS WITHDRAWN. 
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Questions for ISA 

1. Since the peaceful nature of the manned space 

program has been continually emphasized, would you not 

expect that the initiation of a manned military program 

would be regarded as a change in national policy with 

regard to space? 

2. If the purpose of MOL is for experiments, why cannot 

the orbits available from launches at Cape Kennedy be 

employed for these experiments? 

3. In view of the military security covering the MOL 

program, what steps, if any, do you plan to take to 

assure the international community that there is not 

a hidden aggressive intent in the initiation and 

development of this program? 
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014 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

(ISA) 

1. Since the peaceful nature of the manned space program has been 

continually emphasized, would you not expect that the initiation of a 

manned military program would be regarded as a change in national 

policy with regard to space? 

The introduction of a man into an established and well-known 

military space program should not indicate, as such, a significant change in the nature of this nation's overall space program, 

or be regarded as a change in national policy. It could always 

be pointed out that substantial military activities could be conducted by the U. S. without introducing a man into its space program. 

Apart from these considerations, and in order to assure a 

minimum international impact, the MOL will be operated within 

the guidelines of existing national policy and within the carefullyordered security environment which already exists for military 

space programs. A firm position will be maintained on several 

points: 

a. The public information programs associated with MOL 

will be kept modest, low-key and carefully planned. 

b. The publicly announced mission of MOL will continue to 

be expressed solely as "the investigation and development of 

manned orbital capabilities essential to the national defense. " 

c. The U. S. will be prepared to re-affirm its abhorrence of 

orbiting weapons and advise that no U. S. satellite--operational 

or developmental--carries weapons of any kind. 

d. The tight security surrounding MOL's mission capability 

will persist regardless of comments and speculation, however 

accurate or inaccurate. 

Within this environment, MOL can proceed effectively without providing the implication of a change in national policy with regard to space. 

AAA 
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2. If the purpose of MOL is for experiments, why cannot the orbits 

available from launches at Cape Kennedy be employed for these 

experiments? 

We anticipate launching from both coasts. Current planning calls 

for two initial MOL program launchings from Cape Kennedy. 

These launchings have the objective of component qualification 

for the MOL system. The basic MOL developmental program 

launchings will be made from the Western Test Range into nearpolar orbits. Orbits of such inclination enable us to collect 

flight data from all space regions -- north and south as well as 

east and west. Representative of the types of data to be collected 

are: radiation measurements, communication phenomena, meteorological data, micrometeorite density measurements, etc. 

The collection of these data requires. the use of orbits that 

cover the entire earth. 
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PiL 

3. In view of the military security covering the MOL program, what 

steps, if any, do you plan to take to assure the international community 

that there is not a hidden aggressive intent in the initiation and development of this program? 

Secrecy does not mean illegality or aggressiveness. The practice 

of conducting legal, secret operations in international waters and 

air space is well established. There is no reason for the U. S. to 

assume the lack of disclosure of details, timing, and results to be 

taken as indication of aggressiveness. The fact that these details 

are not disclosed becomes relevant only as the U. S. allows it to 

become relevant (for example, by reacting defensively to criticism 

in this regard). Moreover, as already indicated in the MOL Policy 

Paper, the U. S. will be prepared to re-affirm its abhorrence of 

orbiting weapons and to advise that no U. S. satellite carries 

weapons of any kind. We do not believe any further actions will be 

required. 

CZEIBEHTIAL 
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR 

MOL PUBLIC INFORMATION 

(ISA) 

L Since the peaceful nature of the manned space program has been 

continually emphasized, would you not expect that the initiation of a 

manned military program would be regarded as a change in national 

policy with regard to space? 

The introduction of a man into an established and well known 

Department of Defense space program does not indicate, as such, 

a significant change in the nature of the nation's overall space 

program. The purpose of MOL is the investigation and development of manned orbital capabilities essential to the national 

defense. It should be noted that MOL is a laboratory: it 

"investigates" and "develops. " The same has been true of a 

number of DOD space projects; whether they are manned or 

unmanned is not as important as the fact that they are all in the 

mainstream of a continuing U. S. military space program. 

-06th, No 5 
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2. If the purpose of MOL is for experiments, why cannot the orbits 

available from launches at Cape Kennedy be employed for these experiments? 

We anticipate launching from both coasts. Current planning calls 

for two initial MOL program launchings from Cape Kennedy. 

These launchings have the objective of component qualification 

for the MOL system. The basic MOL developmental program 

launchings will be made from the Western Test Range into nearpolar orbits. Orbits of such inclination enable us to collect 

flight data from all space regions -- north and south as well as • 

east and west. Representative of the types of data to be collected 

are: radiation, measurements, communication phenomena, meteorological data, micrometeorite density measurements, etc. The 

collection of these data requires the use of orbits that cover the 

entire earth. 
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3. In view of the military security covering the MOL program, what 

steps, if any, do you plan to take to assure the international community 

that there is not a hidden aggressive intent in the initiation and development of this program? 

On October 17, 1963, the United States government joined the 

United Nations General Assembly in adopting by acclamation a 

resolution calling upon all States "to refrain from placing in 

orbit around the earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or 

any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, installing such 

weapons on celestial bodies, or stationing such weapons in outer 

space in any manner. " The international community should 

continue in its assurance that the United States has no plan to 

deviate from this position which it supported strongly for many 

years before its U. N, adoption and which it considers to be a 

milestone in progress toward peace. No further assurance 

should be necessary.