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20 Jan 1969 

MOL MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT 

FOR 

1 DECEMBER THRU 31 DECEMBER 

J. . Chalmers 

Systems Engineering Director 

Management Systems 

W. C. Williams 

Vice President 

General Manager 

MOL Division 

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1.0 GENERAL 

The combination of vacation and sick leave due to epidemic 

influenza combined to affect operations during the month of December. 

During one week approximately 50 % of our MTS strength was absent and 

the total MTS charges for the month were reduced to an equivalent of 

236 Man Months. 

Work continued in all segments in support of Air Force contract 

negotiations on the Supplemental Agreement and progress was made in 

a variety of technical areas. 

2.0 LOADS 

Basic Load Cycle 4 effort has been completed with the resolution of 

the thrust termination condition discrepancies between Aerospace and MMC. 

A meeting will be held at Aerospace on 7 January 1969 to establish the 

requirements for the conditions for thrust termination. Data resulting from 

the meeting will be prepared by MMC and transmitted to the contractors by 

7 February 1969. They will then be utilized by the contractors for structural 

evaluation, not design. 

Additionally, follow-on effort for a revised relative displacement 

transform, Subsystem 'C' loads transform and Subsystem 'B' loads transform, 

were discussed and scheduled for receipt of data from MMC. This was 

subsequently agreed upon. A meeting is scheduled for 29-30 January at MMC 

to discuss all loads cycle 4 activities. All contractors will attend. 

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3.0 CONTAMINATION 

3.1 Plume Contamination 

Testing of the 1 lb. thruster at AEDC was completed during 

this report period. A preliminary 30-day report is being generated 

along with the verification of all the data accumulated during the tests. 

Interim results identified the need for full scale pulse tests. A program 

funded by MDAC-WD is now in process at Marquardt. Hardware is being 

fabricated and the first thrustor firing will be conducted in late January 1969. 

After a series of baseline firings, a nozzle shroud (similar in design to the 

one tested at AEDC) will be tested with the full scale 22 lb. thrustor. 

4.0 ALIGNMENT 

General Electric and Aerospace have been making error analyses 

to determine which geometrics of the new flight alignment links discussed 

last month meet the present error allocations. Although there are differences 

in several areas of the analyses, both GE and Aerospace agree that the 

new link should monitor between the star tracker base and the tracking mirror. 

General Electric is expected to recommend this solution in late January. 

5.0 IVS 

Preliminary test results on the GE IVS tester indicate that, for 

the Hycon device, specification compliance is satisfactory except for 

cross-coupling. System requirements, mainly settling time, will be and. yzed 

by GE and Aerospace in addition to GE investigation by closed-loop testing. 
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5. 0 IVS - Continued 

The Goodyear device now shows good improvement from the 

breadboard tests, but engineering unit testing is not complete enough to 

forecast specification compliance. 

The near term IVS schedule calls for a GE selection of a single 

IVS vendor in mid-February and a "go-ahead" to the selected vendor 

by 1 March 1969. 

6. 0 FLIGHTS 6 AND 7 

Conducted a Contractor meeting to resolve schedule problems 

involving ATP for the Automatic Configuration. Several alternate 

schedules, with their attendant impact on the Automatic Program, were 

presented to Maj. Gen. Bleymaier. As a result of this meeting, the 

Contractors were directed to protect the schedule as required to maintain 

the present launch dates. 

Contractor CEI's for the RS, DRV and Nose Fairing were reviewed 

and comments were forwarded to the appropriate OPR's. 
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7.0 ADVANCED DATA SYSTEM (ADS) 

Reconfiguration of the SCF Data Handling and Computation System 

is a major problem to the MOL Program. Work continued in December to 

define the problems to be solved and to identify specific approaches. Of 

major significance are (1) the proposed change to 6600 computers and the 

undefined operating software system; (2) hardening of the STC baseline for 

ADS based on the November 17 definition; (3) cancellation of Lockheed efforts 

on ADS for the remote stations; (4) initiation of Mellonics' study of RTS 

processing based on minimum change to that for other programs; and (5) 

pending change of orbit determination program. 

Individual specialized task teams are being organized. The change 

affects all MOL software baseline requirements and interfaces and has a 

major cost, schedule and risk impact. 

8.0 TRACKING MIRROR DRIVE STABILITY 

A meeting on Tracking Mirror Drive Stability was held 16 December 

1968 at General Electric. The Drive A design criteria were carefully listed 

and agreed to by GE and Aerospace as were math models for the principal 

• 

noise (sounds'in the system. Both GE and Aerospace have since proceeded 

to determine rate error performance and roll loop minimum frequency 

for phase stabilizing the critical fourth mode as functions of roll bandwidth. It was necessary to readjust the noise model for the torquers to 

reflect brassboard measurements of performance. Results of the refined 

analysis will be reported by GE mid-January. Aerospace study results 

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8. 0 TRACKING MIRROR DRIVE STABILITY - Continued 

should be available prior to the General Electric data. Tentative 

conclusions from the meeting confirm that the tracking mirror flexures 

must be stiffened. 

9. 0 MOL SYSTEM SAFETY 

During this period the Safety Office continued its support 

to the Segment Offices, reviewing design changes and supporting 

in-house technical reviews. In addition to the normal functions, the Safety 

Office supported a formal review of the MDAC-ED Dual-Gas System Test. 

This review culminated in several design and procedural changes to the 

test program to enhance the safety of operation. The recommendations 

have been accepted and are being implemented. 

The first meeting of the On-Orbit Crew Safety Working Group 

was held with the major associate contractors in attendance. Working 

arrangements and roles and responsibilities were established for performing 

an integrated review of hazards for this mission phase. Particular 

emphasis was placed on nonmetallic materials and atmospheric contaminants 

control and flammability test programs. This type of Working Group 

will be held approximately every three months. 

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10.0 ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM (EPS) 

10.1 DAC MOL Matrix Fuel Cell Presentation 

The new DAC MOL fuel cell baseline was presented to Aerospace 

and the MOL SO on 17 December 1968. The DAC change to the AllisChalmers matrix fuel cell will benefit the MOL Program by decreasing 

the LM weight by approximately 150 lbs. and the reduction in fuel cell 

parasitic power has a potential reactant weight savings of 50 lbs. DAC 

stated that this change will cause minimum impact on the LM design and 

that the change can be accomplished without affecting the MOL Program 

schedule. 

10.2 MOL Matrix Fuel Cell NASA Coordination 

Representatives from NASA-MSC fuel cell technology group 

and the AAP Program Office were briefed on the Allis-Chalmers matrix 

fuel cell for MOL by Aerospace, MOL SO, and DAC on 17 December 1968. 

Agreement was reached for NASA and Aerospace to review each other's 

Allis-Chalmers fuel cell program requirements. NASA provided Aerospace 

and DAC their Allis-Chalmers "Statement of Work" for the AAP Qualification 

Test Program and the MOL SO transmitted a copy of the DAC Allis-Chalmers 

Technical Requirement Specification (TRS) for the MOL. Arrangements 

for a meeting between NASA and Aerospace/MOL SO will be made during 

the week of 13 January 1969 to discuss commonality areas of the MOL and 

AAP fuel cell programs and where minor changes to program requirements 

could achieve mutual benefits and cost savings. 

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10. 3 DAC Preliminary Matrix Fuel Cell ECP 

Meetings are planned with DAC on 3 January 1969 to discuss 

and reach agreement on the LMCEI and TRS documentation changes 

caused by the change to the matrix fuel cell. The deletion of the KOH 

water conductivity sensor and the addition of the silver ion generator 

to the fuel cell, and its impact on both the DAC Electrical Power Subsystem and Water Management Subsystem will be discussed in detail 

during these meetings. 

11.0 ATS DRIVE STABILITY 

Since the ATS system is, in effect, a miniature of the 

Tracking Mirror drive system, it is not surprising that similar problems 

have been surfaced. The Contractors (DAC and GE) identified an ATS 

drive problem due to a lack of servo stability at the critical structural 

resonance of the Lab Module shell. This problem is very similar to the 

Tracking Mirror drive problem (8. 0). The Contractors proposed stiffening 

the LM shell at a penalty of 60 pounds. This change was rejected by 

Aerospace and a series of tradeoff analyses initiated at DAC and GE. 

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12.0 

Although, so far as Aerospace is aware, no official change to 

the Program Objectives has been made, it is our understanding that 

preliminary authority to proceed 

was received during the reporting period. In-house effort was expended 

to finalize the Statement of Work and Preliminary Part I Specification 

which will be the basis of the Contractor Proposal. Effort was also 

expended to support the GE negotiation process by developing a statement 

of work for proposed GE effort 

13.0 ADVANCED PLANS 

13. 1 Block II EDMOL Studies 

MDAC-WD submitted a proposal on December 23, 1968 to study the 

EDMOL vehicle system. The study is to define a preferred configuration, 

crew safety, costs, and production schedule for the EDMOL Vehicle. 

The study is to be initiated early in January 1969, and scheduled for 

completion in five months. 

Potential vehicle weight reduction items that may be considered 

on Block II vehicle planning are currently being investigated by Aerospace. 

Initial discussions with the Gemini B Program Office indicated some 

reductions might be possible in the heat shield, ballast, and guidance system 

areas. This activity is concerned generally with the feasibility of weight 

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13.1 Block II EDMOL Studies - Continued 

saving potential and the attendant economic impact on the program for its 

acquisition. 

13.2 Optical System Improvement Studies 

The final briefing of the Eastman Kodak (EKC) Payload study was 

presented on 3 December 1968 in the MOL SO (Washington, D.C.). 

On 4 December 1968, plans for follow-on payload studies were discussed 

with J. T. Stewart. Direction was prepared to instruct EKC on the 

appropriate items to be considered in their proposal for follow-on studies. 

This direction was given to EKC on 11 December. At the request of the 

contractor, the due date for the study report and proposal was slipped 

to mid-January 1969 from 31 December 1968. 

DORIAN