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APR 5, 1966 

MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTOR,DEFENSE RESEARCH AND ENG 

SUBJECT: MOL Program 

► DIM' I 

Reference: Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense from 

Secretary of the Air Force, subject: Proposed 

MOL Program, dated June 28, 1965 

The Secretary of the Air Force memorandum of June 1965 

proposed a MOL Program which would demonstrate a manned 

optical reconnaissance system promising ground resolutions 

of The program as then proposed 

consisted of seven launches, two unmanned and five manned, 

from the Western Test Range. The two unmanned development 

launches were scheduled for early test of system hardware 

exclusive of optical sensor equipment which was identified 

as the critical pacing item in the original schedule that 

projected a first manned flight date of late 1968. This 

original planning date was structured to provide the desired 

mission capability at the earliest possible date, and was 

based on initiation of Phase 11 engineering development at 

the beginning of calendar year 1966. On this planning base, 

total cost of the development program was estimated at 

$1.5 billion. It must be emphasized that this original 

estimate of funding requirements was based entirely on the 

primary reconnaissance mission of the MOL. It did not 

include funds for secondary or tertiary experiments nor for 

any efforts related to additional missions such as SIGINT 

or ocean surveillance in which the Navy has expressed 

considerable interest, but which have not yet been approved 

by the Department of Defense. 

Firm cost estimates based on program definition studies 

will be submitted to DDR&E during mid-May 1966. The schedule 

baseline for these revised cost estimates has changed 

appreciably from that submitted last June. A more realistic 

appraisal of development lead times conducted during the 

definition phase studies on the DORIAN payload made it 
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necessary to revise the phasing of development schedules for 

all major segments of the program. Our best estimate on 

schedules at this time is that first manned flight cannot 

occur prior to mid-CY 1969 followed by the first fullyqualified optical reconnaissance manned flight in late 1969. 

This constitutes a schedule slip of approximately nine months 

from that originally proposed by the Air Force last June. 

The results of this schedule revision plus program impact 

from the budget limitation placed on the MOL Program for FY 1967 

made it necessary to reorient Phase I contract schedules and to 

adjust contractors' level of effort for the remainder of FY 1966 

and throughout FY,1967. This required extending the system 

definition studies\on the Laboratory Module and the Gemini B 

spacecraft at the contractors' current level of effort through 

June 30, 1966. Sustaining effort after June 30, 1966 is being 

planned at an increased level to support both additional 

manpower and added testing. This gradual build-up will allow 

commencement of Phase II activities on these segments of the 

program by September 1, 1966 at a pace and level of effort 

which is balanced with other segments of the program. Concurrently, we are continuing, paced only by technical limitations, 

with the engineering design, the procurement of long lead items 

------ and the industrial facilitization required for the development 

and acquisition of the optical sensor package. We also are 

implementing, on a controlled schedule, a moderate level of 

effort for continuing the development of the Titan III sevensegment solid rocket motors and the necessary modifications to 

the core Stage I engine to meet MOL requirements. 

In addition to the above schedule adjustments, guidance 

received from the Panel on Reconnaissance of the President's 

Science Advisory Committee and the Department of Defense has 

resulted in other changes to the original MOL Program baseline. 

:Specifically, the requirement that the reconnaissance system 

be designed from the beginning to provide the option to be 

operable in either a manned or an unmanned mode has been placed 

in the MOL system specification. Contractors' roles and 

responsibilities now are aligned to include this dual mode as 

an integral part of the development program. To demonstrate 

both the manned and unmanned versions of the system during the 

development test program, contractors' Phase II cost proposals 

will be submitted on a planning baseline of nine launches from 

WTR, instead of the seven launches originally proposed. It is 

currently planned that three of the nine scheduled launches 

will be flown in the automatic (unmanned) mode with Flight Six 

(June 1970) tentatively designated as the first flight in the 

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fully automatic mode. As previously proposed, all launches 

will be predicated on the use of a seven-segment, 120-inch 

diameter solid rocket motor Titan III with specified improvements on the airframe and liquid rocket engine necessary to 

meet the MOL payload requirement, 

The above constitute the major requirement and schedule 

changes to the program proposal of last June* These changes 

will undoubtedly impact on program cost estimates when submission is made in May 1966. While these factors are believed 

to be understood by the Department of Defense, the purpose of 

bringing them to your attention now is that you are appraised 

in advance of the planning baseline and can correct any 

.misunderstandings or omissions which would prevent the Air 

Force from being totally responsive in the.May 1966 submission' 

Signed 

Harold Brown 

Secretary of thp Air Force .