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UEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

MANNED ORBITING LABORATORY, SYSTEMS OFFICE (OSAF) 

AF UNIT POST OFFICE, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90045 

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MEMORANDUM FOR GEN STEWART 

SUBJECT: MOL Monthly Management Report 

Attached is the MOL Monthly Management Report for the period 

26 January - 25 February 1969: 

1 Atch U. S. IER 

Report Major General, USAF 

Deputy Director, MOL 

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MOL Monthly Management Report 

26 January - 25 February 1969 

I. Program Management 

A. Upgrade Activity - Negotiations with the General Electric 

Corporation were completed on 13 February with agreement on a target 

cost of $492,870,000 and an 8.5%fee, 

capability is included in the contract. Delivery of the McDonnell 

Douglas-Eastern Division (MDAC -ED) proposal has continued on an 

incremental basis with delivery of the final increment expected not 

later than 15 April. The Western Division of McDonnell Douglas (MDAC-WD) 

has slipped the delivery date for its proposal to 31 March. The United 

Technology. Center proposal was received by the Systems Office on 

5 February and is being evaluated. Negotiations with United Technology, 

Martin Marietta Corporation, and Aerojet General Corporation are all 

scheduled to begin prior to mid-March, while a proposal from AC Electronics, 

the remaining TIIIM associate contractor, is anticipated by 18 March. 

Delivery of the Eastman Kodak Corporation's proposal remains scheduled for 

20 June. 

B. Labor Dispute at McDonnell Douglas - Settlement of the labor 

dispute between McDonnell Douglas-Eastern Division (MDAC-ED) and the 

International Association of Machinists was reached on 14 February and 

the MDAC-ED workers returned to work on 17 February. The strike had no 

significant impact on the MOL Program. 

C. MOL Independent Safety Review Board - The MOL Independent Safety 

Review Board conducted a review of the McDonnell'DOuglas-Eastern Division 

(MDAC-ED) Dual Gas System Test Facility and test procedures in St. Louis 

on 27 and 28 January. Colonel Swan, chairman of the review board, briefed 

the Systems Office attendees on the board's findings and has subsequently 

submitted a preliminary written report to the Systems Office. Based on 

this information, the Systems Office does not anticipate a requirement 

to make significant changes in the test facility or test procedures. The 

board will publish a final report following an additional review of the 

test facility. 

D. Cost/Schedule Planning and Control System (C/SPCS) - A schedule 

for completing formal review of the General Electric and McDonnell Douglesoi. 

Western Division C/SPCS system is being finalized. The proposed date for 

the initial GE demonstration is 12-23 May and the redemonstration at 

MDAC-WD is scheduled for 16-20 June. This schedule takes into consideration 

the extended submission date for the MDAC-WD proposal (31 March), preliminary 

completion of the GE negotiations, and the availability of Lt Col Driessnack 

as Demonstration Team Chairman. Confirmation of this schedule is being 

coordinated with contractors involved. 
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E. Systems Office Visitors - General Ryan, Vice Chief of Staff; 

Dr. Flax, Assistant Secretary for Research and Development; and 

Mr. Nevin Palley of the DDR&E office visited the Systems Office during 

February. Systems Office personnel briefed Dr. Flax and Mr. Palley on 

the current status of the program on 11 February and 19 February 

respectively. The presentation to General Ryan was designed to provide 

basic familiarization with the MOL Program, as well as a synopsis of 

current status. 

F. FY 1969-70 Funding Status - As was discussed at the PRC on 

11 February 1969, letters have been prepared for dispatch to all 

associate contractors to confirm discussions between the Program Managers 

and the Deputy Director on 6-7 February at Cape Kennedy. Associate 

contractors are being advised of the funding level they can expect for 

the balance of Fiscal Year 1969. In addition, it is being pointed out 

that on the basis of their stated requirements for Fiscal Year 1970, 

when compared to an assumed budget figure of $576M, requirements exceed 

availability by 31%. The contractors are being directed to review their 

requirements and provide an assessment of the impact on the program. An 

additional meeting will be scheduled in the near future to further discuss 

what, if any, adjustments should be made to the program for Fiscal Year 1970. 

G. System Effectiveness Audit - The Systems Office has begun a System 

Effectiveness Audit of the Laboratory Vehicle contractors. The audit team 

completed a survey of McDonnell Douglas-Western Division during the period 

3-7 February and began an audit of General Electric Corporation on 

24 February. The total audit is scheduled for completion in April, and 

a report of findings will be published at that time. 

H. Vandenberg AFB Construction Status - A team headed by Col Andrews, 

Director of Civil Engineering, Hq AFSC, was formed to investigate the 

status of Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6) construction following a report 

from the Corps of Engineers (Los Angeles District Office) that completion 

of SLC-6 construction would slip to 1 November with a cost increase of 

83.5M. Col Andrews briefed Systems Office personnel on the results of 

the investigation and recommended establishment of a 1 September completion 

date for SLC-6 construction. This recommendation was based on the assumption 

that the required $3.5M would be available by mid-May 1969 and that the 

Electromagnetic Interference Testing would be conducted by the SLC-6 

integrating contractor, instead of the construction contractor. The Systems 

Office concurred with the recommended change in schedule. 

On 25 February, construction of Package 2 of the launch complex 

facilities was 84.1% complete. The Mobile Service Tower, which paces the 

completion of this package was 56% complete on that date. Packages 3 and 

4 were 99% complete with only the power plant remaining to be completed. 

Package 1 of the MOL Support Facilities at VAFB was approximately 69% 

complete on 25 February. The bids for Package 2 of the Support Facilities 

were opened on 13 February and a contract for this work was awarded to the 

Collins and Fletcher Construction Company. 

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I. Hinds "and Manpower Status - Of the $454.5M FY 69 funds released 

to the Systems Office, $442.1M has been initiated. 

Systems Office manpower status is as follows: 

Authorized* Assigned* 

Officers 184 155 

Airmen 12 10 

Civilians 106 95 

High Grades (33) (32) 

Clerical (73) (63) 

TOTAL 302 260 

*Includes Houston Field Office 

, 

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II. Technical Status 

A. MOL Alignment Requirements - Systems Office and General Electric 

Corporation personnel are continuing their evaluation of possible methods 

of fulfilling MOL alignment requirements with Aerospace Vehicle Equipment 

(AVE). General Electric representatives will recommend one of the two 

methods that are still under consideration and substantiate their 

recommendations at a selection meeting which is scheduled for the week 

of 10 March. The Systems Office will make a final selection of one of 

the methods at that time. 

B. Airborne Digital Computer Timing - Representatives of the Systems 

Office, General Electric Corporation, McDonnell Douglas-Western Division, 

and International Business Machines met on 10 February to discuss the 

Airborne Digital Computer (ADC) Cycle Time. A recent analysis indicated 

that demands on the ADC could exceed its 100-millisecond timing cycle 

under worst-case conditions. As a result of the 18 February meeting and 

subsequent study, the Systems Office has directed General Electric to 

implement changes in the core management procedures and to limit the use 

of the command processor. These actions, coupled with a minor design 

change which is presently under consideration, will bring worst-case 

demands on the ADC within the 100-millisecond timing constraint. 

C. Image Velocity Sensor - General Electric Corporation has completed 

the planned testing of both the Hycon and Goodyear Image Velocity Sensor 

(IVS) systems. Neither model completely satisfied performance requirements, 

however, and the Systems Office has directed that both models be modified 

in accordance with design changes that may enable the units to meet these 

requirements. This approach will further delay final selection of the IVS 

vendor until early April, but it will enable General Electric to base the 

final selection on actual test results rather than on a study of possible 

modifications to the present design of the units. 

D. Nonmetallic Materials - The use of nonmetallic materials and 

flammability testing were major items of discussion at a materials meeting 

which was held on 11 February at the McDonnell Douglas Western Division 

(MDAC-WD) facility. MDAC-WD personnel distributed preliminary copies of 

their Laboratory Module Flammability Test Plan and discussed their proposed 

methods of testing. As a result of these discussions, the Systems Office 

has begun a reassessment of contractor compliance with the toxicological 

and flammability criteria of SAFSL Exhibit 10010 to assure that a reasonable 

commonality exists in the selection of nonmetallic materials by the 

associate contractors. 

E. Mission Correlation Data Requirements - Representatives of the 

Systems Office, TRW, and the Intelligence Community met with Lt Col Lycan 

on 5 February at the MOL Program Office to finalize the intelligence agencies' 

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requirements for mission correlation data (MCD) that will be used in 

the exploitation process. A letter confirming agreements and the 

final format/content of the MCD report will be prepared by the Systems 

Office and coordinated with user agencies by I March. 

F. Mission Planning Program - On 6 February, Systems Office and 

TRW personnel briefed Mr. Chadegg, Chairman of the Imagery Collection 

Requirements Subcommittee (ICRS), and Satellite Operations Center 

personnel on the design approach and capabilities of the DORIAN mission 

planning software. The need for expanded requirements data for targeting 

purposes was discussed, and Mr. Chadegg indicated that he would bring 

this matter to the attention of the ICRS. 

G. Hyperbaric Chamber Training - The U. S. Navy School of Diving 

and Salvage has agreed to train Systems Office and McDonnell DouglasEastern Division personnel in the treatment of decompression accident 

victims in hyperbaric chambers. This training is considered essential 

for the personnel responsible for conducting the Dual Gas System Test. 

H. Damaged Mirror Blank - The Eastman Kodak Corporation (Ego 

management has briefed Systems Office personnel on the details of the 

accident which damaged primary mirror blank CU720-2, the extent of the 

damage, and EEC's plans to prevent future accidents of this type. This 

subject was also an item of discussion during Dr. Flax's visit on 

11 February. Possible uses of the damaged piece will be discussed at 

the EEC Program Review on 17 March. 

I. Thermal Vacuum Testing - The Systems Office is continuing its 

study of test requirements that can be satisfied at one contractor's 

facility in lieu of testing at two or more locations. Thermal vacuum 

testing has been identified as a test program that falls into this 

category, and the Systems Office has requested General Electric 

Corporation and Eastman Kodak Corporation to study the feasibility of 

conducting all of this testing at the Eastman facility. 

J. Contamination - Systems Office personnel have made arrangements 

with NASA to visit the Marshall Space Flight Center in mid-March for 

discussions on the extensive contamination testing that has been conducted by Marshall personael. Preliminary contact with.Marshall personnel 

indicates that the results and analysis of their testing will prove 

helpful to the Systems Office's contamination study. 

K. Software - Technical and cost proposals have been received from each of the three contractors that are 

competing for development of the Computer 

Program. The Systems Office is reviewing these proposals and anticipates 

selection of a contractor by mid-March. 

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L. Fuel Cell Development - McDonnell Douglas Western Division 

(MDAC-WD) personnel have completed their preliminary design review 

(PDR) of the Allis Chalmers fuel cell and are working off the resulting 

action items in preparation for a PDR with Systems Office representation 

during the week of 17 March. MDAC-WD personnel are also studying a 

potential schedule impact from incorporation of a silver ion generator 

into the fuel cell for control of bacteria in the system. 

M. Advanced Data System Configuration - Systems Office personnel 

are continuing the redefinition of the Advanced Data System (ADS) in 

close coordination with the Satellite Control Facility (SCF) and 

anticipate completion of this effort by 15 March. The SCF has received 

informal notification from Dr. Flax that the 360/67 triplex computer 

will be approved for use in the ADS. Approval of the sole source 

justification for the Control Data Corporation 6600 computer is still 

pending. 

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