DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

DIRECTORATE OF SPECIAL PROJECTS (OSAF) 

AF UNIT POST OFFICE, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90045 

15 June 1966 

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REPLY TO 

ATTN OF: SP-1 

RED 

tai 

Studies of a "Wholly Unmanned" DORIAN Syr 

RT DATA VT 

DATE 

Director, NRO (Dr. Flax) 

MICROFICHED/ 07 

DATE Co/4:26 6 Reference: WHIG 5063, 8 April 1966 

/ 

1. The referenced message directed SAFSP to conduct (in-house and 

with two contractors) conceptual system studies of an unmanned reconnaissance satellite system utilizing the DORIAN optical sub-system. 

The system was to have at least 30 days on orbit and be configured to 

provide the same quality and quantity of reconnaissance-intelligence 

information as the MOL. Concurrently, General Schriever directed the 

MOL/SPO to develop a refined update of man's estimated ability to 

enhance the operational capability and cost effectiveness of the MOL 

baseline system, exploiting alternative manned payload concepts and 

exploring growth version potential. The results of these two efforts 

were presented to you and General Schriever on 7 June, and are herewith submitted in accordance with your instructions issued at that 

meeting. 

 2. Part I of the inclosed report was prepared by SAFSP in response to 

WHIG 5063, except for Appendix C which was prepared by the MOL SPO 

and is included for comparison and to show the range of variation in 

MOL SPO and SAFSP cost estimates, as discussed during the 7 June 

meeting. Parts II and III were prepared by the MOL SPO in response 

to General Schriever's direction previously noted. General Berg and 

I have mutually prepared this letter and agreed on the method of submission. 

s!s 

3. It is difficult to draw together direct comparisbns of equivalent =I= 

 items in the inclosed data, due to a number of factors which are out- 

.° lined below. 

to% 

r\mme a. Data Base: There is a considerable difference in program 

1 == approaches. The SAFSP effort in Part I is the result of a 30-day 

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pre-phase I study of the specific system considered herein, together 

with other closely related studies such as S-2, which have been in 

progress at varying levels of effort (some of which was funded at both 

contractors) for about two years. The SAFSP contractors and in-house 

approach resulted in an OCV designed specifically for the unmanned 

system. The MOL SPO configures an unmanned OCV on the basis of the MOL 

laboratory subsystem which would be required. 

b. Cost Base: The MOL SPO cost estimates and the SAFSP cost 

estimates are obtained by a different procedure. The MOL SPO has 

"scrubbed down" the MOL contractors cost proposals, arriving at a lower 

SPO estimate of such costs. The SPO has then scaled this SPO estimate 

consistent with their estimate of the vehicle subsystems required for the 

wholly unmanned task. The SAFSP contractor cost estimates have been 

increased (by approximately 50% of the non-recurring costs) by SAFSP 

review, to cover more extensive engineering, testing, etc. , considered 

necessary by SAFSP to obtain the specified performance. 

c. Optimization: Except for the Mission Module, which is the 

same throughout, Part I pertains to a fully optimized unmanned system, 

whereas the MOL Program presently has as its basis a dual mode. 

d. Degraded Mode: Although both the SAFSP unmanned approach 

and the present MOL Program both employ redundancy, the degree to 

which these systems can operate in a usable although degraded mode is not 

equivalent. As discussed in Parts II and III, the astronauts are expected 

to be able to maintain the on-orbit vehicle in a manual operating condition 

through many subsystem failures. 

e. Reliability: There is not complete agreement between SAFSP 

and the MOL SPO on the predicted reliability of the unmanned system. 

S AFSP believes that full exploitation of the overall experience to date in 

unmanned systems, together with the degree of redundancy included in the 

SAFSP studies, and individual quality control testing of each vehicle can 

result in the high reliability noted in Part I. The MOL SPO believes that 

this reliability estimate is too high and is expected too soon. 

f. Target Objectives and Coverage: In the unmanned mode all 

targets are pre-programmed. The same is true of the maimed mode, 

except that the astronaut is expected to search out active indicators and 

supply special photographs of high intelligence value. In this manner, the 

manned operation could increase coverage of targets of special interest 

by a factor of three over the unmanned approach. 

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g. Growth: While the SAFSP study did not examine any growth 

of the "wholly unmanned" system, it is considered to be limited. The 

manned version presently includes studies leading to such capabilities 

as ELINT, mobile targets, tactical reconnaissance, 

multi-sensors, and, in addition, growth through the incorporation of 

a rendezvous capability. 

h. The Utility of the Astronauts: Obviously, all contributions 

that only the astronauts can make will apply only to a manned system. 

Such potential includes all future growth involving structures assembled 

on-orbit, as well as rendezvous and re-supply. For these concepts, 

there is no unmanned equivalent. 

JOHN L. MARTIN, JR 4 Atch 

Brigadier General, USAF 1. BYE-67170-66, Sys 

Director Presentation, 7Jun66 

2. BYE-67169-66, EffectivenessBaseline, 14Jun66 

3. TCS-32660-66, Analysis, 

15Jun.66 

4. - BYE-20450-66, 7Jun 

Briefing, 13Jun66 

cc: Director, MOL 

(General Schriever) 

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