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MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE 

SUBJECT: Manned Orbiting Laboratory Monthly Status Report 

The attached Status Report on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program covers activities through October 31, 1965 

and is submitted in accordance with October 15, 1965 instructions 

from the Office of the Secretary. 

Wu:A ilosteil 

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

WASHINGTON 

I request any suggestions or 

make on this report or for other 

MOL Program. 

comments you might wish to 

information you desire on the 

Atch 

Status Report 

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B. A. SCHRIEVER 

General, USAF 

Director, MOL Program 
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PROBLEMS 

A. Manned/Unmanned Considerations 

As reported in last month's report, the President's 

Science Advisory Committee (PSAC) has imposed the requirement that the optical sensor for MOL be capable of functioning 

in either a manned or unmanned mode. This requirement when 

coupled with the trade-offs and decision between the tracking 

vs pointing optics presents a very complicated matrix to be 

analyzed and evaluated within the schedule and resources of the 

MOL Program. 

As a result of discussions on this subject with the 

Director, MOL at the Program Review Meeting on September 28 

and 29 and with the MOL Policy Committee on October 14, a 

small integrated task group has been established to analyze on 

an objective basis all aspects of this problem. Results will be 

available approximately early December 1965. An interim 

report will be made to the Director, MOL at the next Program 

Review on November 15, 1965. The objective is to develop at 

the earliest possible time a presentation and report on the impact 

of current direction and a recommended course of action. 

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B. Optical Considerations 

In connection with the above, General Electric and 

Eastman Kodak, as associate contractors for the Mission Module 

and Mission Payload respectively, are defining a "baseline" 

system around the in-line configuration; i.e., gimballed mirror. 

Each is also studying aspects of the dump-truck configuration. 

Study results are to be completed in December 1965 with a firm 

decision by December 31. Douglas is defining the Laboratory 

Vehicle System for the in-line configuration only. If in December 

1965, the dump-truck configuration appears more effective, overall schedule impact will result. Effort will be made to expedite 

analysis of alternate configurations to permit a decision earlier 

than December 31, 1965 if at all possible. 

C. Flight Schedules and Alternate Mission Payloads 

As a result of discussions with the MOL Policy Committee on October 14, 1965, the schedule objective, for planning 

purposes, is to fly the first manned MOL in late 1968. Efforts 

are continuing to align all program segments to this objective. 

Problems of booster and payload lead times compound the schedule 

problem. Initial study conclusions by the MOL System Office on 

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an alternate experimental payload and mission module to accommodate this package should be available in November 1965. In 

the interim the contractors, Douglas and General Electric, are 

concerning themselves only with the primary mission objective. 

II. CHANGE PAST MONTH 

A, Mr. Bob Linder, Bureau of Budget, was given a classified DORIAN briefing by SAFSL on the MOL Program on October 4, 

1965. 

B. The Director, MOL met with key top-level management 

of Douglas, General Electric, Eastman Kodak, Martin, McDonnell 

and Aerospace on October 13, 1965 at SSD where MOL management 

and organization structure was discussed with each of the major 

associate contractors. 

C. The third meeting of the MOL Policy Committee was 

held at Headquarters USAF on October 14, 1965. 

D. Mr. Foster, DDR&E, was given a classified DORIAN 

briefing by SAFSL on MOL Program objectives and status on 

October 15, 1965. 

E. Contract negotiations for Definition Phase efforts on 

the MOL Mission Module were completed with General Electric 

on October 15, 1965. 

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F. Contract negotiations for Definition Phase efforts on 

the MOL Laboratory Module were completed with Douglas on 

October 17, 1965. 

G. The initial group of MOL Aerospace Research Pilots 

(astronauts) were briefed at SSD on October 16, 1965 on the 

sensitivity of the military aspects of the program and the handling 

of queries associated with public announcement on their selection. 

H. Admiral W. F. Boone and members of the NASA staff 

were given a SECRET level briefing by SAFSL on the MOL Program on October 19, 1965. 

I. DDR&E released $3. 5 million of FY 66 Titan III funds 

to initiate development of the seven segment solid motor and the 

modification of the Stage One engine to provide the 15:1 area ratio. 

Remaining FY 66 Titan III R&D funds are deferred by DDR&E subject to review of the final plan covering all performance improvements to Titan III required by MOL. 

J. Dr. Loewe, Air Force Chief Scientist, was briefed on 

the MOL Program by SAFSL on October 22, 1965. The material 

presented to Dr. Loewe was restricted to a SECRET classification. 

K. Lieutenant General Glen Martin, Air Force Inspector 

General, was given a classified DORIAN briefing on MOL Program 

objectives and status by SAFSL on October 22, 1965. 

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III. CURRENT STATUS 

A. Douglas /General Electric Contract Negotiations 

Contract negotiations were completed with Douglas on 

October 17, 1965. A fixed price minimum level of effort contract 

was negotiated at $10.35 million. The effective date of contract 

is October 18 with Definition Phase Data and Phase II proposal to 

be submitted on February 28, 1966. Phase IC will be accomplished 

to allow for a Phase II go-ahead on May 1, 1965. The Douglas contract is expected to be ready for distribution in early November. 

"Black" contract negotiations were completed with 

General Electric on October 15, 1965. A fixed price minimum 

level of effort contract was negotiated for all tasks to be performed 

by GE at a price of $4.922 million. The effective date of contract 

is October 18 with Definition Phase data and Phase II proposal to 

be submitted on February 28, 1966. The "white" portion of the 

total GE effort has been extracted and is being prepared as 

separate contract with effective date also of October 18. The 

"white" contract covers $0. 975 million of the total $4.922 million 

price. It is expected that the "white" contract can be increased 

at a later date as additional experimentation tasks are defined 

during the Definition Phase. The GE "white" contract also is 

expected to be ready for distribution in early November. 

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B. MOL Aerospace Research Pilots 

The first group of MOL Aerospace Research Pilots 

have been selected and will be assigned to the program in the 

near future. All are expected to be on station at SSD in early 

December 1965. The initial eight selectees were briefed at 

SSD on October 16. Applications have been solicited from Air 

Force officers and from the Navy/Marine Corps for the second 

selection. 

C. MOL Peculiar Launch Pad Modifications, CKAFS 

Authorization and funds ($0.5 million) to design and 

construct necessary alterations to Pad 40 of the Titan III ITL 

Complex at Cape Kennedy to accommodate the Pre-MOL Heat 

Shield Qualification (HSQ) launch have been granted. Advertising 

for bids will be made in the near future. 

D. Ship Support for MOL Orbital Insertion 

The MOL Program calls for an insertion ship on station 

south of Vandenberg for each launch. A National Range Division 

(NRD} study for the ship support for MOL orbital insertion shows 

that the T-AGM-19 class, T-2, being modified to support the 

Apollo Program, is the most attractive from the viewpoint of 

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cost, technical support capability, and modification schedule. 

However, the availability of these ships to support both Apollo 

and MOL could be .critical. Tight scheduling and close coordination of the test schedules of both programs will be required. 

Informal discussions have been held with NASA 

personnel to determine if NASA would agree in principle to 

judicious cooperative scheduling of these ships to support both 

programs. To date these discussions have not been too encouraging. The Commander, NRD, has been asked formally by SAFSL 

to study the scheduling problem and notify the Program Office of 

his findings and recommendation on planned MOL Program use 

of these ships. 

A meeting is planned at NASA on November 1, 1965 

where representatives from NASA, NRD, and DOD will discuss 

this scheduling problem. 

E. MOL/T-III Booster Requirements 

Firm requirements have been established for a 30, 000-

pound minimum booster capability with a target payload of 32, 000 -

pounds. Based on this requirement and the detailed analysis of 

various Titan III booster capabilities, the Titan III office has been 

instructed to proceed with final definition of the Titan III 7-segment 

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120-inch SRM configuration. This configuration is to include 

the 15:1 ratio nozzle and other core improvements necessary 

to achieve target payload and crew safety and mission success 

criteria. 

The Initial Launch Complex (ILC) at Vandenberg is 

to be designed and built for the MOL configuration. The design 

will include those features essential for eventual growth to the 

156-inch SRM. Capability to handle other than MOL payloads 

will be included only so far as they do not interfere with the MOL 

priority. 

F. Public Affairs Guidance for MOL 

Mr. Arthur Sylvester, Assistant Secretary of Defense 

for Public Affairs, on October 29, 1465 issued a DOD policy 

letter on handling of MOL public statements. This guidance states 

that public statements with regards to MOL will not be volunteered. 

All national level press queries will be referred to ASD (PA) for 

response. Further all speeches and interviews on MOL will not 

be volunteered and all requests for speeches or interviews must 

be cleared with ASD (PA) prior to acceptance., 

G. MOL Funding Procedures 

Funding procedure documents on the handling of both 

"white" and "black" funds and other financial media on the MOL 

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program are in preparation. The MOL "black" financial procedure document is in final preparation for signature by the Director, 

NRO and the Director, MOL. "White" funding procedures are 

drafted for coordination with the Director, Budget and Director, 

Aerospace Programs. 

IV. FORECAST FOR FUTURE 

A. Douglas will submit to the Air Force for approval 

during November their major subcontractor structure. Major 

subsystems include: stabilization and control, power supply, 

environmental control, data management, communications, 

mission simulation and cryogenic storage systems. 

B. The Titan III Program Office will present their latest 

findings on the proposed MOL/T-III booster configuration to USAF 

and DDR&E during the week of November 8, 1965. 

C. Contract is to be let with David Clarke on the MOL 

pressure suit during early November. 

D. The next MOL Program Review Meeting is scheduled 

for November 15, 1965 at SSD. 

E. A MOL briefing at the SECRET level is scheduled for 

staff members of the Subcommittee on Military Operations, House 

Committee on Government Operations, by SAFSL on 17 November 

1965. 

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V. DUE DATE FOR NEXT STATUS REPORT 

Next monthly MOL Program Status Report to be submitted 

December 6, 1965. 

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