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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

DEC6 1966 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE 

SUBJECT: Manned Orbiting Laboratory Monthly Status 

Report 

The attached Status Report on the Manned Orbiting 

Laboratory (MOL) Program covers activities through 

November 30, 1966 and is submitted in accordance with 

the November 14, 1966 memorandum from the Office of 

the Secretary. 

i

moJAMES RGUSON 

General, USAF 

Director, MOL Program 

1 Atch 

a/s 

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I. PROBLEMS 

A. Status of Negotiations 

Because of the continuing inability to 

compromise the differences between the Government and 

contractors financial positions, the decision was made 

to make a final offer to each of the contractors. If 

Douglas, General Electric and McDonnell refuse to accept 

the Government offer, the competition for the contract(s) 

refused will be reopened to bids by the other participating contractors and to a new contractor, possibly Lockheed 

Missiles and Space Company. If this action becomes 

necessary it is anticipated that there will be schedule 

slippage. 

B. Revised Planning for the MOL Readout System 

On November 23, the NRP Executive Committee 

disapproved the development of a readout capability 

for the GAMBIT-3 system. The MOL baseline includes a 

readout system consisting of on-board film processing, 

selection of suitable portions, laser film scanning and 

data transmission by wide-band link. The G-3 system 

had been determined to be satisfactory, for MOL. Cancellation of G-3 support has caused a reexamination to 

determine the means for continuing the readout development 

and an appraisal of the desired schedule. It appears 

that part of the advanced technology work can be supported 

by NRO and other funding. Some additional sustaining 

funds may be needed from MOL and this matter is currently 

under study. 

C. Aircraft Support for MOL Crew Members 

The lack of aircraft to support MOL astronaut 

Space Flight Readiness (SFR) training was cited in last 

month's report. The HQ USAF response to the Director, 

MOL request for additional resources acknowledged the 

MOL requirement, but advises that aircraft priorities 

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to support SEA requirements precludes assignment of the 

requested aircraft to MOL at this time. As an interim 

measure three T-33 aircraft, and some manpower spaces 

on an austere basis, are to be made available. Planning 

is underway to conduct SFR training at Los Alamitos 

Naval Air Station using the three T-33, and two T-38 

aircraft which will be transferred from the MOL advanced training program at the Aerospace Research Pilot 

School. Transfer of the T-38s will necessitate deletion 

of T-38 flight•training from the advanced MOL training 

curriculum. Follow up action with HQ USAF for 

additional aircraft support is not being considered at 

this time. 

II. CHANGE PAST MONTH 

A. T-III/MOL Support of Apollo Applications 

Program (AAP) 

A NASA report, "Apollo Applications Program 

Use of Titan III-MOL Systems", dated November 2, 1966 

was received from DDR&E on NON/ember 15 for review and 

comment. This report was based on a NASA study in 

response to a BOB question of whether an AAP manned 

space flight program could be structured around the 

Titan III-MOL system plus the Saturn V-Apollo systems. 

Data on T-III and MOL systems which had been requested 

from DoD by NASA over the past several months were 

incorporated into the study. 

The MOL Program Office review identified and 

discussed certain discrepancies, deficiencies and 

questions pertaining to the content and findings of the 

subject NASA study. A recommendation was made to DDR&E 

that DoD not concur with the report. 

B. MOL Manpower Package 

The Director, MOL, in a memorandum for the 

Secretary of the Air Force dated July 5, 1966, requested 

the Secretary's assistance in obtaining 296 (later 

changed to 293) manpower spaces to support the MOL program. 

115 officers and 31 airmen spaces requested for FY 1967 

have been reprogrammed from within current Air Force 

resources. The November 1966 Manpower Authorization 

Voucher includes these military manpower spaces and they 

will be effective the 3rd Quarter FY 1967. The 38 

military manpower spaces for FY 1968 will be acted upon 

at a later date. The Air Force cannot fund the 109 

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civilian authorizations required for FY 1967 and 1968. 

A letter requesting DoD to raise the Air Force manpower and RDT&E budgetary ceilings for FY 1968 by the 

109 civilian authorizations as required by the MOL 

program has been prepared and is currently in SAF-RD. 

C. Briefing of Senior AFSC Personnel 

On November 14, the MOL Program Office briefed 

the following AFSC Officers: 

Lieutenant General W. A. Davis 

Major General J. J. Cody 

Major General G. F. Keeling 

Major General W. E. Carter 

Brigadier General W. R. Hedrick 

Brigadier General F. M. Rogers 

Colonel J. D. Lowe 

Colonel L. W. Lilley 

The briefing included a review of current 

program status, the design baseline, the photographic 

system, test operations, astronaut training, funds 

and schedules. 

D. Phase II Contracts Technical Review 

During the week of November 7, the MOL Program 

Office conducted a review of the work statements and 

specifications for the MOL Program Phase II contracts. 

The purpose of this review was to insure that the 

technical and engineering requirements of the different 

contractor efforts were not duplicative or contradictory 

and that where there were interfaces, these were 

properly provided for in the contracts. 

Based on the report of the review team, the 

technical aspects of the MOL program contracts were 

determined to be complete and adequate. These findings 

will be reported to General Keeling, AFSC DCS/P&P. They 

will be considered a part of his contract review and 

validation process when the contracts are negotiated 

and submitted to AFSC for Procurement Policy Committee 

review and General Keeling's signature. 

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E. MOL Monthly Management Meeting 

Dr. Flax and General Ferguson attended the 

Monthly Management Meeting held on November 17 at SSD. 

The principal agenda items were the status of negotiations 

and fund requirements. These items were also discussed 

at the MOL Policy Committee Meeting on November 22. The 

results of these meetings is covered in paragraph II F. 

F. MOL Policy Committee Meeting 

A meeting of the MOL Policy Committee was 

held in Washington on November 22 to review the status 

of Phase II contract negotiations and attendant financial 

implications. The planning schedule for accomplishing 

negotiations was presented along with the areas of 

agreement, disagreement, cost data and expenditure rate, 

and manpower buildup for each contractor. In the 

discussions which followed the presentations, the 

committee indicated that the MOL system requirement 

was still valid, and that the funding rate should be 

limited only by the lead time of the optical system. 

The committee was informed that if the Government/ 

Contractor contract price impasse continued, it could 

cause the program to stretch out. The committee concurred with the formulation of a plan that could exercise 

the option of reopening the competition, but suggested 

that the contractors be advised of our intentions prior 

to initiating such an action. 

The committee also noted that the FY 68 

budget is not likely to be greater than $480 million 

and every effort should be made to settle below the AF 

budget position if possible. 

The subject of a DX priority for the MOL 

Program was discussed briefly. It was agreed that the 

time to request a DX priority is after negotiations 

have been completed and schedules and costs are better 

defined. 

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G. Heat Shield Test (HST) Launch 

The Heat Shield Test launch was made on 

schedule on November 3, 1966. All flight characteristics 

for the Gemini spacecraft and cylindrical test structure 

were nominal and objectives achieved. The modified 

Gemini heatshield including a hatch for crew transfer 

successfully survived re-entry temperatures with splashdown approximately 6 miles from predicted point. The 

recovered spacecraft is now undergoing examination and 

analysis as part of the Gemini B engineering program. 

III. CURRENT STATUS 

A. MOL Launch Complex 

The VAFB MOL Launch Complex has been redesignated Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6). 

Invitations to bid for construction of the 

launch complex are to be issued on December 2; the 

bid opening date is January 17, 1967. 

B. Electromagnetic Pointing System (EPS) 

The NSA evaluation of the utility of combined 

photo/ELINT data to the intelligence analyst was received early in November. NSA's analysis indicates 

that the bi-sensor approach has a unique potential for 

high-priority intelligence collection and that addition 

of the automatic ELINT system in the MOL platform is 

definitely desirable. This potential will be effected 

by the capabilities of the astronauts and the optimality 

of the system bandwidth. The analysis concludes that 

the EPS could significantly enhance the value of the 

MOL Program, but that consideration should also be 

given to EPS as part of future unmanned programs. 

Further study of incorporating the EPS into the MOL 

vehicle will be conducted after the baseline configuration 

is firm. Ground simulation and analysis to better 

estimate the quantitative intelligence gain by bi-sensor 

correlation will be initiated. 

C. MOL Funds Status 

The issuance of Obligational Authority totaling 

approximately $30.5 million to MOL activities was requested from AFABF during November. Of this amount, 

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$14.5 million completed the release of FY 1966 funds 

and $16.0 million represented the initial release of 

FY 1967 funds. The total of funds released against the 

MOL line item since program approval in August 1965 

is approximately $182.2 million through November 30. 

A balance of $34.0 million of FY 1967 funds is held 

by the Director, MOL Program. 

D. MOL Recovery Forces 

The Secretary of Defense has requested the 

DoD Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations 

to convene representatives from the JCS, Navy and Air 

Force for a joint review with NASA representatives of 

operational requirements, force capabilities, recovery 

support techniques, cost estimates, and funding responsibilities for force augmentation in support of the 

manned space recovery mission. A report and recommendations were requested to be made by December 8, 

1966. The outcome of review is not expected to affect 

the MOL requirement for an aircraft staging base on 

Easter Island for launch abort recovery. 

IV. FORECAST FOR FUTURE 

Monthly Management Meeting 

The next monthly management meeting is tentatively 

scheduled for January 9, 1967 on the West Coast. The 

principal agenda item will be Phase II contractual status 

resulting from the December final offers to Douglas, 

General Electric and McDonnell. 

V. DUE DATE FOR NEXT PROGRESS REPORT 

The next monthly MOL Progress Report will be 

submitted January 9, 1967. 

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