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inumiqp00noomplimuum 

JUL 2 0 1967 

MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL BLEYMAIER 

SUBJECT: July 7, 1967 MOL Internal Management Meeting 

Attached for your information is my memo for record of 

the minutes of the July 7 meeting. 

Request the Systems Office take necessary action for those 

items so indicated. 

JAMES T. STEWART 

Major General, USAF 

Vice Director, MOL Program 

cc: General Ferguson 

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MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD 

01 

SUBJECT: Minutes, July 7 MOL Internal Management Meeting 

The July meeting was held at the Systems Office in Los Angeles. 

Principals in attendance were: 

Major General Stewart 

Major General Bleymaier 

Major General Cooper 

Colonel Heran 

Colonel Norman 

Dr. Walt Williams 

Mission Operations 

This subject was presented for review prior to its presentation to 

 Vice President Humphrey on July 25. 

The briefing presented the operations concept for the manned MOL 

 DORIAN so as to maximize the capability of the high resolution optic system, 

 airborne computers and mission displays and controls. 

The briefing emphasized man's enhancement of the reconnaissance 

 mission through his active participation in target selection and real 

 time examination of targets for the presence of activity indicators; his 

 ability to correct technical problems which would otherwise seriously 

 degrade the mission - for example, his ability to bypass a malfunctioning 

 image velocity sensor, and to track a target manually; and his ability to 

 verify, analyze, repair and manually control certain aspects of system 

 performance. 

General Stewart recommended that the briefing first emphasize the 

 importance of man in the alignment, focus and pointing of the main optics, 

 then the mission improvement contributed by the flight crew as demonstrated 

 during simulation, and the contribution of the flight crew to target 

 selection. (Systems Office Action) 

N. 

\ Recovery Security 

co 

This briefing considered the problem of preserving the security of 

 film and optics by denial to foreign eyes in case of a mission abort. 

t =I= 

)- The security of the film presents a particularly difficult problem 

since it is especially designed to be protected against all hazards. Of 

the methods of destruct available, i.e., explosive, chemical, radiation, 

light, etc., chemical destruct seems the most desireable at this time 

for the film. 

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The briefing concludes that because of the extremely low probability 

of belligerent recovery during ascent abort, .00001, or recovery 

malfunction, .0005, security assurance should rely, in the main, on 

operational procedures. 

Business Session 

T-IIIM 

The throw weight capability for the 80/186 NM perigee/apogee, 

90o inclination at 55° N. latitude has been established at a minimum of 

31090#, and a maximum of 31258#. 

There is still a funding problem on the order of some $9.0 

million for FY 68. About $6.0 million of this amount may be available 

from prior year fund requirements to the MOL program from the heat 

shield test, NASA participation and other program realignments. 

Technical Review 

Orbiting Vehicle Weight 

The current predicted orbital weight is 29367#, which 

includes pending weight changes of +:217#. The inclusion of a readout 

system or additional DRV's and film will still permit some reasonable 

margin for weight growth. 

Electrical Power 

Electrical power is already very critical. The average 

power requirement is 1.853 KM with 1.825 KW available; the peak power 

requirement is 4.336 KW, with 4.5 KW available. To resolve this problem 

consideration is being given to reducing requirements by the inhibition 

of power for certain heater functions and by ATS load management. In 

addition a Power Coordination Control Board has been established, and 

will institute electrical power reporting and control procedures. 

General Stewart recommended that the Systems Office investigate 

the desirability of another Air Force R&D activity working on fuel cells 

using their own money. 

Pitch and Roll Gimbal Bearings 

There is a potential problem with these bearings in their 

ability to damp the vibration and noise of the tracking mirror drive, 

while retaining sufficient stiffness for the gimbal structure. The rate 

and stiffness requirements for these gimbals requires a significant 

advance in the state of the art. 

The bearing tests are underway and are scheduled to be 

DORIAN completed in May 1968. Analysis of the report is expected by October 1968. 

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Cost and Schedule Analysis 

The FY 67 and prior year carryover funds totaling $292.586 

million were all obligated by June 30 with the exception of $101 thousand 

which will be carried into FY 68. 

Contract Status 

An updating was given of the current contract status and 

schedule for completion of negotiations for deferred and identified work 

which have an estimated total value of approximately $741.0 million. 

With the exception of GE, the contractor proposals have been received 

and negotiations will be initiated shortly. 

The Air Force was given cognizance of GE plants at 

Philadelphia, Radnor, Valley Forge and King of Prussia. The transfer 

arrangements from DCAS are to be completed by July 21. 

Apollo and Brooks Findings 

This presentation reviewed the Apollo 204 and Brooks chamber 

accident reports, compared MOL activities with the review board recommendations, and gave general background on MOL safety activities. 

The most pertinent-to-MOL accident investigation results have to 

do with the Gemini B atmosphere on pad, and orbiting vehicle materials. 

selection and control. In both these areas, as well as others, MOL 

is pursuing a vigorous program. A materials criteria, test requirements 

and control exhibit has been prepared and is under review. A rapid 

opening hatch for the Gemini B is being examined, and on pad operational 

and communications procedures are being very carefully reviewed. 

Spacecraft fire suppression methods, a rapid donning emergency oxygen 

mask and combustion detection equipment are being looked at. The launch 

atmosphere for LV is planned to be 80% He, 19% 02 and 1% H20 at 10.5 psi 

instead of 100% 02. He and 02 atmospheVeat 7.0 psi is being evaluated. 

The accelerated and expanded safety program is expected to have a 

cost and weight impact. These will be better identified o/a October 1. 

Reincorporation of WBDL 

There is general agreement among the MOL Program participants as to 

the desireability of Readout. The problem is one of funding and authority 

to proceed with system development in sufficient time to test and fly the 

system by December 1970. The system costs which were estimated at $25.0 

million in January 67 are now estimated at approximately $53.0. The FY 68 

estimate has risen from $5.5 to $10.1 million. Some portion of this 

increase can be attributed to program changes and stretchout. The schedule 

of development activities to have readout hardware available for installation 

in the first manned flight vehicle requires an early decision to proceed. 

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General Stewart asked the Systems Office to provide at the MOL 

Program Review Council meeting in late July an estimate of the funds 

required to continue the WBDL effort the Systems Office believes is 

necessary through January 1968. He does not expect a full scale readout 

system decision until the end of the year. (Systems Office Action) 

As part of this briefing, a comparison was made of requirements for 

the baseline processor vs. a "health check" processor, on the logic that 

elimination of R/0 would obviate the need for a "Production" processor. 

The "health check" processor would be required to support the following 

checks: 

Optical alignment 

Smear tests (IVS) 

Initial focus 

Camera/Visual optics bore sighting 

Through focus check 

Camera operation and sequencing 

The check equipment also modestly reduces the equipment size, weight and 

power requirements. 

The conclusions were that the "health check" processor cannot be 

easily upgraded to the baseline processor capability and the cost savings 

are very minor. 

This briefing will be a part of the July 27 Program Review Council 

meeting, but will include identification of the required decision date 

for changing from the baseline bimat processor to the health check 

processor. 

Mission Planning and Evaluation Software 

The object of this briefing was to solicit authority to proceed with 

software procurement, Software status, program interfaces and the prOposal 

evaluation board were discussed. The point was made that contractor 

proposals run out on July 15, and that further slip would endanger the 

MOL software package. 

General Stewart raised the question of commonality between the MOL 

and G-3 programs with respect to target selection. He pointed out that 

we must be prepared to answer the question "Do we need to have two sets 

of software or will the software which is capable of doing the more 

difficult job, do both, or is there some efficient or economical mix of 

both?" 

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Corral ystem 

General Stewart will discuss this subject with Dr. Flax during the 

week of July 10 so as to permit a release on software contractor selection. 

(Program Office Action) 

Aircraft Simulation 

This agenda item was in response to Dr. Flax's January request that 

a study be made to determine if limited use could be made of aircraft 

to obtain quantitative validation of ground photographic simulations. 

The study concluded that the use of aircraft was not desireable, however 

other recommendations for the possible use of aircraft were offered. 

The active indicator concept requires crew training using ground 

based facilities and realistic stimulus. This stimulus may well be 

provided by the use of aircraft. 

Limitations in general simulation fidelity suggest that the use of 

aircraft can provide variation in haze with look angle, three dimensional 

targets, motion at target, photographic cues vs real scenes, cloud 

coverage predictions when looking forward, color. 

The overall program concept for use of aircraft simulation is being 

further defined. 

Alternate Recovery 

This briefing described the considerations and basis for recommending 

the Wake/Midway rather than Hawaii as the Western fence. The Systems 

Office favors Wake/Midway on the basis of better weather on a yearly 

basis, lighter sea and air traffic and the design loiter capability of 

the Gemini B which is sufficient for both recovery areas, but less 

constraining at Wake/Midway. 

No firm decision was made as to "fixing" the selection since there 

is a great deal of time remaining before such a decisions must be made. 

Mission Enhancement 

This briefing describes the areas that were being studied 

Planetary photography. 

Executive Session 

A review of the Systems Office implementing actions in response to 

the MOL management directive was given. It was agreed that SAFSP and 

the MOL Systems Office should attempt to handle manpower space adjustments locally. 

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General Stewart indicated that a new 65-1 management directive was 

being drafted and the Systems Office would have an opportunity to review 

it before publication. General Stewart also agreed to investigate: 

1. The need and/or desirability of a new systems number (other 

than 632A) for MOL. 

2. The adequacy of the current AFSC Operations Order with 

regard to MOL. 

3. The adequacy and propriety of the DDMS Charter. 

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