APOVEFOR 

LRELEA 5 

/4,AV 

AA 

A.mt,1,1r 

zsF.:N47 

• ViA 

CHM. SYS'6:ri . , 

n" DEPARTMENT OF THE. ARMY 

g

rilig - • OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

wAsHINGT0N, D.C. 20310 - 

i • 

- e 

• 

?ECIAL ACCESS rzqunix.-~D 

mr.ssira.r•SAGS PROTECT 

• 

11DMRANDUM FOR THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF TEE AIR FORCE 

SUBJECT: Manned; Orbiting Laboratory (U) 

.Beferences:',.• a.* Preliminary Experiments Data for the Manned Orbiting 

:Laboratory System (MOL) Program,lvhrch 1965.. 

Report Number SSD-TR-65-20, Volume I. 

• 

On 14 August 1965, Brigadier General Evans, Vice Director of the. 

Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program, briefed the Chief of Staff, 

U. S. Army, and key members of the Army staff on the MOL. As a result 

of this briefing and informal contacts with the MOL Systems Office at 

Space Systems Division, three areas for Army participation in the ND 

program have been identified. These are: 

a. Tactical positioning, surveillance and geographic support, 

The activities included in the MOL program are potentially useful for 

the collection of information for tactical military intelligence 

• eluding target locations and characteristics), technical intelligence 

of primary interest to the Army, military geographic intelligence, 

locating or positioning Army units, and site selection for river 

crossings, airfields or other installations in the field. There i 

also interest in evaluating the usefulness of man in space' to support 

Army responsibilities associated with national disaster (e.g., flood,, 

, hurricane and earthquake) and civil defense. The planned experiments for the acquisition and tracking of grodnd targets, direct 

viewing of ground targets and electromagnetic signal detection (ref- . 

erance a) are examples of activities which will have a direct impac 

on Army operations and reiponsfbilities. For this reason, it appear 

- appropriate that the Army participate actively in the development a 

conduct of the MOL program to assure maximum operational application „ 

of this important DOD program In addition, Arty experience and ca pa 

bilities in the use of satellite data can contribute to the activitie 

planned for the MOL'program. 

b. Signal intelligence (SIGINT). The ArmyIs particular 

interested in the potential of planned. EOL activities to develop SIGI 

capabilities such as improved direction finding and target location 

capabilities over land areas, using a single platform; greater responsiveness to varying signal densities in a given frequency band or bands 

as a function of geography, time of day or (most important) as a ,function 

of actual activity; emphasis on the higher radar frequencies (S.-band 

through 1C-band) with particular Army interest in intercept capabilities 

at the highest frequencies) 

EXCLUDED FROM AUTOMATIC REORADINC: 

DOD OR 5200.10 DOES NOT APPLY 

/%14 Uji 

I' I' t. i • 

Vt1"1"■.-3 

■ 

• rtl,)71P1.11 r 

'14044):CC!Al. FLAN'DLING r.4 

Fti,p,Eiditf- gkiloe 

.liELEASABI 
mrimfi,Te 11 

EMDIE VIA 71' rq • ca litga SYSIL 44'' 

• • 

NRo AYPROVER:FOR. 

REL!..EASt JULY 2015 

.;: 

SUBJECT: Manned Orbiting laboratory (U) 

Active Army participation 

in the MOL program would insure coordination of Army interests with at 

MOL SIGINT development activities and would make Army experience in this 

field, particularly that of the Army Security Agency, available to contribUte 

to the MOL program. 

c. Communications. The operation of the MOL system will require 

an extensive network of surface communications terminals. In particular, 

.#1x11 use of information from MOL-based. systems will require communications 

data links from the spacecraft to a ground environment which includes 

terminals suitable far Army field use. Further, the large antenna experiments (reference b) in the MOL program have applications to tactical satellite communications using very small ground. terminals which are of particular 

interest to the Army. Army participation in the cammanications aapects- o 

the MOL program is necessary 'both to insure 1%11 exploitation of -MOD 

developments and to use the Army's capabilities, developed for the gr 

environment of the:Defense Communications Satellite Program, to supp 

,the MOL program. 

For each of the activities described above, it is proposed that an 

Army officer 'be designated to work in the MOL Systems Office at USAF 

Space Systems Division. For positioning, surveillance and. geograPhic 

support activities an officer will 'be designated from the U. S. Army 

Geodesy, Intelligence and. Mapping Research and Development Agency; for 

SIGINT an officer will be designated from the U. S. Army Security Agency; 

and for communications an officer will be designated from the U. S. 

Satellite Communications Agency. Although these officers will remain 

assigned to the appropriate Army agencies, they will perfcam their duties 

as full-time working members of the MOL Systems Office at Space Systems 

Division. Such an arrangement will permit these' rmy representatives 

maintain close contact with interested Army agencies while making au 

stantial contributions to the MOL Systems Office. Officers selected. -for 

these assignments Would, of course, be well qualified in their areas 'o 

interest. The Space Branch, Office, Chief of Research and . Development 

Department of. the Army has been designated as the Army point of toniti& 

for actions with the MOL Program Office in Wa.shington, D. C. 

If you agree, we will proceed to establish more specific arrangements with the MOL Program Office and to designate the Army:officers tirho 

will work at the MOL Systems Office at Space Systems Division. =fI 'believe 

.it would be useful if you would assist in obtaining the necessary ',clearances for the Army personnel both at Space Systems Division and the. 

other Army organizations which will be directly .involved. Additional 

discussions of this subject can be arranged., if you desire them. 

Copies furnished 

Asst Dir (Space. Tech 

Dep Dir, DIA 

. . 

Willis M. Ilse:tins 

f.essi'stant Sec-atrrN .... J a' V-0 Army (11&13 ai 

v,• 

COPAL MTN 

111