SECRET DORI" 

DEPARTMENT 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 

27 JAN Mt 

SUBJECT: MOL Monthly Management Report 

Attached is the MOL Monthly Management Report for the period 

26 November - 25 December 1968. 

1 Atch lJ. S. ER 

Report Major General, USAF 

Deputy Director, MOL 

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MOL Monthly Management Report 

26 November - 25 December 1968 

I. Program Management 

A. Upgrade Activity McDonnell Douglas-Eastern Division (MDAC-ED) 

has approved the supplemental agreement which was issued last month, and 

the Systems Office expects a proposal from MDAC-ED by 31 January 1969. 

The McDonnell Douglas Western Division proposal is still expected on 

18 February 1969. Negotiations with General Electric Corporation began 

on 9 December and were adjourned on 23 December to allow the GE team time 

to study the Air Force offer that was tendered on 21 December. Negotiations 

are scheduled to resume on 6 January. The issue of unpriced supplemental 

agreements to the Martin Marietta Corporation and AC Electronics contracts 

is now expected by 31 January 1969. The Aerojet General Corporation's 

proposal is being reviewed by Systems Office personnel and completion of 

this in-house review is expected by 7 February 1969. A proposal from the 

United Technology Center is now expected by 13 January 1969. The unpriced 

supplemental agreement to the Eastman Kodak contract was forwarded to the 

contractor for signature on 11 December and has subsequently been signed. 

B. Gallentine Committee - Systems Office representatives met on 

27 November 1968 with the Gallentine Committee, which is reviewing the 

Advanced Data System MS) design for General O'Neill. The purpose of 

the meeting was to validate a computer loading analysis which compared the 

MOL and Apollo Programs. The Systems Office personnel found that the 

analysis was reasonably accurate for the launch and reentry phases of 

operations. The analysis of the on-orbit phase was considered inaccurate, 

however, because of the analyzing contractor's lack of knowledge concerning 

this phase of the MOL Mission. 

C. Flight Crew Activity - Mr. Walt Cunningham of the NASA Astronaut 

Office visited informally with the MOL flight crew on 11 December in Los 

Angeles. Mr. Cunningham presented a short film on intravehicular activity 

and answered questions from the flight crew concerning crew comfort, sleep 

cycles, restraint systems, etc. His visit was considered highly beneficial 

for the MOL flight crew, and other sessions of this type are planned for the 

future. 

D. Recovery Planning Summary - Systems Offide personnel have coordinated 

with personnel of the 6595th Aerospace Test Wing in preparing a MOL Recovery 

Planning Summary. A draft of the Summary has been completed, and its data 

content will be included in the pending revision to the Manned Recovery 

Requirements Document (MRRD). 

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E. Space-Ground Technical Interchange - MOL Systems Office, associate 

contractor and Air Force Satellite Control Facility (AFSCF) representatives 

participated in a Space-Ground Technical Interchange Meeting on 17 December. 

The purpose of this meeting was to begin detailed work on the Space-Ground 

Interface Specification. Little progress can be made in this area, however, 

until the AFSCF commits its contractors to working the interfaces, The 

next meeting will be held in January if the AFSCF agrees to participation by 

its contractors at that time. 

F. Air Weather Service Space Environmental Support Conference - The Air 

Weather Service (AWS) hosted a Conference on Space Environmental Support 

Requirements at Scott AFB, Illinois, in late November. The conference was 

called to present the AWS's capabilities for providing space environmental 

support and to give other agencies an opportunity to identify their specific 

requirements in this area. A Systems Office representative attended the 

conference and outlined the MOL capability for definition of space radiation 

and MOL requirements for related information from outside sources. The 

consensus of the conference was that the MOL requirements for AWS inputs 

were not sufficient to justify AWS's proposed Space Environmental Support 

(SES) program. Other organizations' requirements were considered sufficient 

to justify the preparation of a Requirements for Operational Capability 

Document for the SES program, and this document will be distributed by 

February 1969. 

G. Gemini B Qualification Telemetry ORerations - The Systems Office has 

requested the SAMS° Communciations and Electronics Division to obtain a waiver 

to the Department of Defense policy which restricts telemetry operations to the 

1435-1535 and 2200-2300 MHz bands after 1 January 1970. This waiver is required 

to allow operation of the Gemini B qualification telemetry system at 259.7 MHz 

at the McDonnell Douglas-Eastern Division facility in St. Louis and at the 

Air Force Western Test Range until late 1971. 

H. MOL Independent Safety Review Board - A MOL Independent Safety Review 

Board is being established to review those test facilities involving man and 

to present the Deputy Director with an evaluation of the safety of each of 

these facilities. Qualified personnel from non-MOL organizations are being 

invited to serve as members of the Board. 

I. Vandenberg AFB Construction Status - On 25 December, construction 

of Package 2 of the launch complex facilities was 80.3% complete. The Mobile 

Service Tower, which paces the completion of this package, is now 45% complete 

and continues to be scheduled for completion on 1 April 1969. The power plant, 

which is the only item in Packages 3 and 4 that remains uncompleted, is now 

scheduled for completion on 31 January 1969. Package 1 of the MOL Support 

Facilities at VAFB is approximately 58% complete. All design elements of 

Package 2 of the Support Facilities have been provided to the Corps of Engineers 

for preparation of the construction bid package which is expected to be 

advertised during the second week in January. 

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J. Funds and Manpower Status - Of the $454.5M FY 69 funds released 

to the Systems Office, $434.6M has been initiated. 

Systems Office manpower status is as follows: 

Authorized* Assigned* 

Officers 184 151 

Airmen 12 10 

Civilians 106 94 

High Grades (33) (31) 

Clerical (73) (63) 

TOTAL 302 255 

*Includes Houston Field Office 

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II. Technical Status 

A. Launch Pad Hazardous Vapor Detection System (HVDS) - Martin 

Marietta Corporation (INC) has submitted a study which concludes that 

commercially available toxic vapor detection equipment is not capable 

of providing automatic control of the MOL launch pad air conditioning 

system. Data received from the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, 

Edwards AFB, and the 6570th Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, 

Wright-Patterson AFB, support the MMC conclusions. The Systems Office 

has directed MMC to remove the fixed toxic vapor detectors and automatic 

controls from the system design. Portable toxic vapor detectors and 

detailed procedures for their use will be utilized at the launch pad to 

protect personnel and equipment from exposure to toxic vapors. 

B. Acquisition Tracking System (ATS) Servo Performance - The Systems 

Office has approved the method proposed by General Electric and McDonnell 

Douglas-Western Division to fulfill the structural stiffness requirements 

for proper ATS servo performance. This decision was based on the results 

of detailed analysis performed by the Systems Office and the two associate 

contractors involved. The necessary structural changes will add approximately 

50 pounds to the weight of the Laboratory Module. 

C. MOL Alignment Requirements - The Systems Office and the associate 

contractors have agreed that MOL alignment requirements should be met by 

an airborne system. Two methods of fulfilling alignment requirements through 

the use of Aerospace Vehicle Equipment (AVE) are presently under consideration. 

The Systems Office will select one of these methods upon completion of a study 

of the predicted accuracy of each. 

D. Depleted Uranium - McDonnell Douglas-Western Division (MDAC-WD) 

has notified the Systems Office that lead will be an acceptable mass 

substitute for the LOX tanks on Flight Vehicle-2. Accordingly, lead 

(instead of the previously considered depleted uranium) will be used for 

the simulation of these tanks. 

E. Laboratory Module Film Viewer - McDonnell Douglas-Western Division 

(MDAC-WD) is making necessary design changes in bay 4 of the Laboratory 

Module to accommodate the Eastman Kodak film viewer. The previous design 

of bay 4 was not suitable for installation of the viewer because of space 

limitations and inadequate structural support. 

F. Advanced Data System Control & Display Subsystem - Representatives 

of the Philco-Ford Western Development Laboratories recently presented 

briefings and demonstrations of the Advanced Data System (ADS) Control & 

Display Subsystem to Systems Office personnel. Philco-Ford is progressing 

well in the development of the Control & Display Subsystem and will deliver 

an operational 4-channel system in February 1969. 

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G. Mission Planning Software Preliminary Design. Review - The 

Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Mission Planning Software was 

held on 20-22 November with representatives of the associate contractors, 

the Systems Office, and the intelligence community in attendance. Vehicle 

vibrational damping times after Attitude Control & Translation System (ACTS) 

enable and payload related checks (such as boresighting and focus sensing 

exercises) were identified as items which require further definition. The 

Systems Office and the associate contractors are studying these areas and 

anticipate having them adequately defined by mid-January. 

H. MOL Wire Review Committee - The MOL Wire Review Committee has 

completed its survey of the wiring standards and quality control practices 

of selected non4fOL contractors and Government agencies. The second phase 

of the committee's work entails a similar survey of the MOL associate 

contractors and a comparison of their wiring practices and standards with 

those of the non-MOL contractors that were visited by the committee. This 

phase was initiated with a visit to the Martin Marietta Corporation facilities 

on 10-11 December 1968. 

I. Acoustic Testing - McDonnell Douglas-Western Division (MDAC-WD) has 

decided to refurbish their Santa Monica acoustic test facility during the 

spring and summer of 1969 to accommodate large scale vehicles, e.g., the 

MOL Laboratory Module, DC-I0 Sections, and SPARTAN air frames. This is a 

corporate decision to enhance MDAC-WD's capability to compete for new 

programs. The MOL Program will benefit from this decision to the extent 

that the Laboratory Module acoustic testing and unmanned vehicle nose fairing 

tests can be accomplished in the expanded facility. The facility will be 

refurbished at no direct cost to the MOL Program. 

C) 

J. Mission Simulator Development - Systems Office representatives 

visited classified facilities of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 

Beale AFB, California0Lon-10-Decesher- The primary purpose of the visit 

was to study the SR-71 simulator technology, operation of the simulator, 

and the simulator support concept. The use of photographic stimulus materials 

to simulate an optical view of vehicle ground track was of special interest. 

This visit was arranged to broaden the experience of Systems Office personnel 

assigned to the development of the MOL mission simulator. 

K. Portable Communications System and Portable Ventilation System - 

First Article Configuration Inspections(FACI's) of the Portable Communications 

System (PCS) and the Portable Ventilation System (PVS) were completed at the 

Hamilton Standard facility on 5 December 1968. The Contract End Item (CEI) 

Part II Specifications were approved for both systems. Minor discrepancies 

that were noted during the FACI's will be cleared by 15 January 1969. 

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L. Medical'Contingencies Bioastronautical personnel assigned to 

the Systems Office have completed a review of concepts and operational 

planning related to medical contingencies in prolonged manned spaceflight. 

The first draft of an in-flight contingency paper has been prepared, and 

final publication will be made within 60 days. 

M. Non-Metallic Materials - Systems Office and McDonnell DouglasWestern Division (MDAC-WD) personnel visited the Air Force Materials 

Laboratory (AFML), Non-Metallics Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, to become 

familiar with the operation of the AFML and to determine the extent and 

nature of assistance that can be obtained from this organization. The AFML 

Non-Metallics Division agreed to place the Systems Office and MDAC-WD on 

the distribution list for their reports; AFML personnel also agreed to 

provide any technical advice that the Systems Office may require and to 

assist MOL in acquiring materials that are not commercially available. 

vommmr VTN 81T.MA11/41 

SYSTEM OMLY 

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