NRO APPROVED FOR 

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FEB 19 1968 

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD 

SUBJECT: MOL/NSAM 156 Briefings to Ambassador Bohlen and 

State Department Staff Members 

On February 16, as an outgrowth of the February 14 

Space Council Meeting, briefings on MOL and NSAM 156 Ad Hoc 

Group activities were given to Ambassador Bohlen and several 

State Department Staff members (list attached). The DoD 

representatives included Mr. Nitze, Dr. Foster, Dr. Flax, 

myself, and Col Worthman. 

I gave a full MOL briefing covering the background, 

program objectives, emphasizing the need for and value of 

resolution, explained why both manned and unmanned systems 

were being developed, illustrated how the astronauts would 

use the Acquisition/Tracking Scopes, showed some pictures of 

activities at the various contractors, plus the schedule, 

and a summary (list of charts attached). 

Mr. Bohlen's questions centered largely on the need for 

this resolution, whether the improvement from 

resolution (mature KH-8) to 

resolution (for MOL) was worthwhile, how much the program 

would cost, and how vulnerable was the system to hostile 

were 

quite

etc. Mr. Nitze and Dr. Foster, citing examples, were 

quite emphatic that DoD felt the potential increase in 

information was needed and worth the cost. Mr. Bohlen was 

rather non-committal in his reaction to the explanations. 

At one point, Mr. George Denney pressed as to whether 

there was any purpose for the MOL program other than 

reconnaissance. He also seemed to feel that COMOR's 1965 

study on the value of high resolution (which I had used as 

an example) was the stated requirement for MOL. He then 

asked, "Well, if the Intelligence Community withdraws the 

requirement, then you will stop the program?" Mr. Nitze and 

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Colonel Worthman then briefed on the NRO "environment" 

and organization, touched on NRP accomplishments, and then 

discussed US security policy since 1960 with regard to 

overflight of denied areas. He discussed NSAM 156 and the 

subsequent activities of the various NSAM 156 Ad Hoc Group 

in some detail. At one point, Mr. Bohlen indicated that 

the policies and the continued reaffirmation of those 

policies were sound. 

The discussions ended without any apparent follow-up 

actions required at this time on the part of SAFSL or the 

NRO. 

2 Atch 

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AMES T. STEWART 

jor General, USAF 

Director, MOL Program 

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Dr. Foster said that depended on vhat was meant by 

"Intelligence Community", that DoD had to make.decisions on 

this information, etc. 

The MOL discussion having been completed, Secretary 

Nitze and Dr. Foster departed at this point. 
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NRO APPROVED FOR 

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STATE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS 

Ambassador Charles Bohlen 

Dep Under Secretary for Political Affairs Phillip J. 

Farley 

Dep Asst Secretary for Political and Military 

Affairs Herman Pollock 

Dir International Science and Technology Affairs 

Jerry Trippe 

Atting Director for Atomic Energy and Aerospace 

George C. Denney 

Dep Dir for Bureau of Intelligence and Research 

(Denney is Deputy to Mr. Hughes) 
NRO APPROVED FOR 

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Number 

Discussion Outline 

A-1 MOL Program 

D-1 MOL Objectives 

E-1 Satellite Photography 

E-5 Resolution Simulation 

E-9 EET Resolution Requirements 

E-10 Typical Dimension Accuracy Requirements 

E-3 Performance Dispersion of KR Systems 

F-1 Baseline MOL Manned Mode 

F-2 Baseline MOL Unmanned Mode 

F-4 MOL Camera System 

G-2 Man in MOL 

G-3 Acquisition and Tracking Scope Concept 

G-4 AWACS Aircraft 

G-5 AWACS Aircraft at 125X Magnification 

G-6 Russian AWACS at Through Main Optics 

G-7 Moscow Through ATS 15X 

G-8 Moscow Area - Partial Clouds 

G-9 ICBM Complex - Alternate Target Concept 

G-10 - 2 Feb 68 

G-11 Loading Soviet Missile in Silo 

G-18 USSR Polaris-type sub at naval facility 

G-19 Naval Facility 

I-1 Contractor Team 

J-1 Gemini B ECV 

J-2 Gemini Rear View Showing Retro Rocket Clusters 

J-6 MOL Recovery 

K-12 Forward Bay Mission Module 

L-3 Tracking Mirror 

L-10 ATS Console Simulator 

L-16 GE Console Lay-out Work Rig 

M-2 EK Full Scale Mission Module Mockup 

M-3 Structural Development Model 

M-4 Mirror Polishing at EKM-15 

M-15 *General View, High Bay, Area Building 101 

P-1 SL-6 VAFB 

P-10 View looking west, launch facility with LCC in Background 

P-7 Control and Recovery 

Q-2 MOL Summary Schedule 

S-2 Summary 

DORIAN 

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