IMPLY TO

ATIN Ort

AIR FOROZ\IIALIMIO MI HZ DIVISION

IDSADQUAIVIERS

AIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COSIMAND

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

Air Force Unit Post OfBee, Los Angeles 45, California

MDSMC/Maj Hale/2413

I

mmuscre Message, Subject: (U) Discoverer IV Launch Cancellation, Personal From

General Wade to General Ritland

To: General Ritland

The Wade message specifies an IRSS communications circuit which

marginal in operation during the Discoverer IV Launch attempt,

June 1959. The purpose of the circuit is to permit coordination

the Radar Control Officer (RADCO) of three radars, a Mk 51 gun .

director (used for initial aiming of the radars), and the radar

plotting boards. The radar plotting boards are. located directly in

view of the RADCO in the ICC building. These automatic boards receive.

radar outputs from the three radars. The communications circuit allows

the RADCO to alert and program the radar and director functions

and verify by conversations with the radar operators the validity of.

the radar outputs appearing on the radar plotting boards.

Since the installation of the IRKS, there have been two conference/

circuit intermittent operation difficulties which have plagued the

IRSS system. These are conference.net two and conference net four.

These circuits have been under intense examination for the last 45 days,

in an attempt to improve their operation. Improvement efforts include

development of a special laboratory prototype conference circuit which

was applied. to conference circuit two, the most important and poorest

functioning of the two circuits. This "quick-fix" provided. a partial

solution to .:.the intermittent operation of conference circuit two and

has been under observation at every testing opportunity. It was

believed that if this circuit was proved in, the problems with conference

circuit two and four would be solved. Peculiarly, each of these

conference circuits had periods of operation which were quite satisfactory.

However, during "all systems" checks, additional loading of the circuits

with monit oring positions laid on during "minisum mandatory requirements".

meetings at Vandenberg, which violated the basic design_of—the_circi. dtat..-

reduced the-talking quality to less than acceptable levels.

3. Following the citations failure on 23 ane, a fresh =pressured

approach to the conference circuit two and four problems was undertaken

by a transmission engineer from Kellogg. This engineer examined the

terminal, units, at the radars and other locations, and discovered these

terminal units to be wired in accordance with en i . perlY reproduced 

(or originally The circuit or awing error

Was su e to escape notice during engineering drawings

checks, and the physical circuits also worked well during individual

circuit checks, prior to installation in a conference system of circuits.

The network circuit kroduced was such that an acceptable operation was

possible until load; were placed on the system. The fault has been

corrected and un further observation.

RADED AT 3 YEAR INTERV

DECLASb 12 YEARS,

DOD DIR 5200.

9 JUL 1959

Ley /

• /tee 3 -
4. As indicated in the Wade message, the cause vas a basic engineering

deficiency. Kellogg recognised this and provided expert assistance

from their resources, including the personal, attention of the circuit

designer, in an attempt to solve this problem. However, even in a

minor engineering difficulty of this sort a solution is difficult to

achieve when observation and study of circuitry is impeded by systems

checks and exercises that preclude undivided attention to such problems.

-5. The Wade to Ritlandressage has been quoted verbatim to Kellogg

(copy attached) with appropriate added remarks designed to assist the

home plant in providing the quality of engineering required in this

and future systems.

/

Wit Y. ToiNto.

colona, USAF

Director, Mot oriel

DR COMM RESOURCES

2 Atch

Cy TWX 064 (c)

dtd 25 Jun 59

Wade to Ritland

Cy TWX WDSM 6-601-3 (c)

dtd 30 Jun 59

2