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DIRECTOR OF DEFENSE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING 

WASHINGTON. D. C. 20301 

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31 AN 1989 

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MEMORANDUM FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 

. • • 

SUBJECT: MOL Program and Value of Very High Resolution Imagery 

I understand that you have recently been advised by the Office of 

ASD (SA) that the urgency and needforyery high resolution imagery is 

not great enough to support the estimated run-out costs for the MCI, 

program. 

• 

This contention and other issues presented by Systems Analysis 

have been fairly considered in the extensive decision making process 

applied repetitively to MOL. Also, the options and alternatives 

recommended for new evaluation have been presented in previous MOL DCP's 

and other decision documents. Methodology to 'quantify the cost/effectiveness of intelligence has yet to mature to a level which would preclude 

 judgement decisions regarding the value of additional technical intelligence in DOD force planning decisions. 

My conclusion, as presented in the most recent MOL DCP, that the 

 value to DOD of MOL very high resolution photography combined with its 

 mission flexibility justifies the remaining development and estimated 

 operating costs; and my recommendation for proceeding with the baseline 

 (manned and unmanned) program were supported by the Secretary of the Air 

Force, the President's Scientific Advisor, the Director of the DIA, the. 

 Director of the National Reconnaissance Program, and the Assistant 

 Secretary (Comptroller) and approved by the Dep SecDef. 

The MOL program is managed by the Secretary of. the Air Force and 

directed by General Ferguson and General Stewart. It.has been,exceptiovai1y, 

 well handled, our guidance always responsively received; itind..is proceeding . 

 towards its objectives in an orderly and effective fashionin consonance 

 with the DCP dated 4 December 1968. 

General Stewart, General Carroll, Dr. Flax and I are prepared to 

 brief you at your earliest convenience on the MCL Programl Man in MOL, 

 and the recently completed joint D1RE/DIA study regarding theltaIue of: 

Very High Resolution Imagery to DOD. 

190/— 

UPI 

Intomal1 

downgrading and dedassitoetio0 John S. Foster, Jr. 

cc: ASD (SA) 

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MOL 

The MOLOL Program was -approved on the basis of an investigation of the usefulness of man in space to contribute to 

military objectives. It was determined that the most useful 

experiment to perform was a single directed experiment to 

determine the ability of man in obtaining VHR performance of 

a photographic reconnaissance satellite. The original program 

was defined toward this experiment and the optical system 

specifically tailored to maximize the potential contribution 

of man. PSAC reviews of this program resulted in technical 

confirmation of the approach with the statement that the goal 

of VIA was unquestionably important and that manned operation. 

could increase confidence and timeliness of achieving the goal. 

However, PSAC observed that the results of the MOL program might 

lead to a desire, for several reasons, to conduct further VA 

operation unmanned. Therefore, the automatic devices to permit 

and 

unmanned operation were included in the program /- unmanned 

flights were added to verify their operation. But it was fully 

_accepted at that time that the MOL program was justified on 

the basis of an experimental program to determine man's utility. 

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The output of the program was intended to be a clearer understanding of man's capability and also a set of hardware with 

VB capability for either manned or unmanned operation. The 

program was established outside the NRP and it was approved 

for a specific limited number of flights with no implicit 

decision on the nature of the follow-on.USIB has given no 

specific requirement. 

At this time the program is being reviewed and judged 

on the basis of an operational reconnaissance program in 

direct competition for intelligence gathering assets. The 

recent MOL DCP stated acquisition of VHR to be the primary 

objective with exploration of man's utility as an ancillary 

objective. The dialogue underway tends to obscure several 

key factors which are important to the justification of the 

program both currently and historically. 

1. The MOL program will result in data air which to base 

conclusions regarding man's utility and to permit formulation 

of plans for possible future military manned space flight 

activity. The program remains a valid approach to this 

determination and onCwhich will provide needed supplementary 

data to NASA activities.If the program is terminated, any 

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future decisions must be based on an extrapolation of NASA 

experience. 

2. The MOL program will result in specific data related 

to man's utility in reconnaissance operations. Such data is 

necessary for any future consideration of manned space reconnaissance and directly applicable data is not easily extra,- 

polated from NASA programs. 

3. The MOL-DORIAN program will result in the development 

and orbital qualification of an optical system of very advanced 

performance. The initial manned flights will result in a unique 

opportunity to understand clearly the orbital performance of 

such an optical system and may resolve uncertainties of the type 

now facing us with GAMBIT. 

4. The MOL-DORIAN program will obtain VHR photography during 

its five missions. This photography will have high intelligence 

value. During any quarter in which MOL/DORIAN flies successfully 

GAMBIT will be stood down. 

5. The MOL/DORIAN program will result in a basis for 

three types of future programs: 

a. If the manned system proves to be of sufficient 

unique value, it may be continued. 

b. If the value of VHR warrants it, but the unique 

contributions of man do not warrant the added expenSe, the DORIAN 

optics may be flown with a simpler control vehicleand replace 

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c. A decision may be reached based on MOL experience 

to proceed with more ambitious manned endeavors such as 

rendesvous, resin 0, larger optics etc. 

6. The unmanned flights of the present program 

are of dubious value. A misunderstanding appears to exist 

that these flights are important to the developient of an 

unmanned capability for VHR. In fact, such a capability is 

best developed through manned flights in the automatic mode. 

The capability for exploiting the unmanned capability exists, 

if desired, by a moderately inexpensive integration of the 

HEXAGON OCV with the DORIAN Mission Modeolg, 

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