TOP SECRET 

DIRECTOR OF DEFENSE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING 

WASHINGTON. D. C. 20301 

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MEMORANDUM FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 41•1•111MIKVIIMINI 

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SUBJECT: MOL and the National Intelligence Program 

This memorandum is in response to our MOL discussions on 

16 February after we briefed the State Department personnel on the MEIM 

program. 

The total cost of the National Intelligence Program today is between $4-5 billion annually. The cost of four main programs, the 

Consolidated Cryptological Program, the National Reconnaissance 

Program, the Central Intelligence Program, and the Consolidated 

Intelligence Program, account for about $4 billion per year. It is 

estimated that about $1 billion additional is used by other government agencies and the DOD operational forces in intelligence 

related activities not included in the four main programs. 

The cost of the National Intelligence Programs are closely controlled and should remain essentially constant for the next ten years. 

A 2% per year increase has been estimated to cover a "cost of living" 

increase. 

By 1973-1974 the MOL will be used at the rate of about two per 

year manned or perhaps, three per year unmanned. The manned 

MOL will cost about $85 million on a recurring basis and the unmanned MOL will cost about $65 million. The annual MOL recurring 

cost would be between $170 to $195 million per year. The reduction 

of the number of Gambit Cubed (medium resolution) flights per year 

will reduce the MOL recurring costs. The present Gambit Cubed 

cost about per year launched. It may increase to 

as the cost rise over the next five years. Using the manned 

MOL, the Gambit Cubed flights might be reduced from six per year 

to about three per year by.1974: The net recurring cost for the high 

resolution photography from the MOL would then be about 4170 

per year out of a $5 billion cost for the total 

intelligence program. 

DOR -dow..,..ra•fint, and declassification. 

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SystaFi GAMBli S. FOSTER, JR, 

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The intelligence content from the resolution photography can be expected to improve over the Gambit Cubed photography by as much as a factor of . In addition to the 

improved photographic content for mensuration and analysis, a 

manned reconnaissance capability can be exploited to photograph 

significant activities and exposed equipment which would normally 

be missed by a pre-programmed unmanned system. Exposure, 

focus, and cloud avoidance can all be exploited to get maximum 

return from the manned high resolution system. 

In the future a dramatic improvement can be made in the MOL 

system by adding a real time read out system. Such a system 

would return high resolution photographs to any selected command 

within hours of the observations. This system is not a part of the 

present MOL program because of our intent to complete the limited 

objective of the R&D program at minimum cost and lowest technical 

complexity. 

It is technically sound to consider extending the manned MOL 

from 30 days to 60 days by a growth version' of the T-III launch 

vehicle. This could be accomplished for a nonrecurring investment 

of between $200-$300 million. 

If the capability is extended much beyond 60 days, serious questions remain regarding man's physiological, capability and whether an 

economic advantage would materialize in the face of a launch rate of 

two per year. 

The development of rendezvous and resupply would require up to 

about $1. 5 billion to develop a basic system within the capabilities of 

existing launch vehicles. 

Specialized versions of the 60 days extended MOL could combine 

an ocean surveillance radar with optical sensors to provide high 

confidence intelligence data as a part of decisions on naval force 

deployments. 

In summary, for a total R&D investment of about $3. 0 billion, 

spread from 1963-1973, and a follow-on recurring cost of about $100 

million per year we can obtain hard intelligence on which we can confidantly base deployment decisions, force levels and mixes, major 

R&D decisions, and crises management decisions. The MOL will 

also provide improved safeguard photographs on test ban treaties, 

space treaties, and future arms control or disarmament treaties if 

treaty issues have to be taken to the United Nations. 
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