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8 June 1969 

MOL PROGRAM BACKGROUND 

The concept of a military Manned Orbiting Laboratory - 

spacecraft consisting of a Gemini, pressurized laboratory, and 

unpressurized experiments compartment; to be launched via a 

Titan III booster -- was announced by the Secretary of Defense 

in December 1963. At that time many military-oriented as well 

as scientific experiments were under consideration. Studies of 

various possible program objectives and spacecraft configurations 

were conducted over the ensuing eighteen months and during this 

period, the current objectives of MOL were evolved. Starting in 

January 1965, attention was focused on MOL as it is fundamentally 

known today.(1) 

In August 1965, with the concurrence of the Vice President, 

the Secretary of State, the Administrator of NASA, the Director 

of the Bureau of the Budget, the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and other appropriate Government 

officials,(2) the Secretary of Defense recommended to the President 

that the MOL Program be approved. On August 25, 1965, the President 

publicly announced approval of the MOL Program stating that 

Footnotes: 

(1), (2) - See Classified-Atch. 

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the purpose was to: 1. acquire new knowledge of what man is 

able to do in space; 2. relate that ability to the defense of 

America; 3. develop new technology and equipment for manned 

and unmanned space flight; and 4. perform new and rewarding 

experiments with that technology and equipment. 

This statement was g generalization of the MOL objectives 

in layman terms.(3) To accomplish these objectives, a six 

flight program was approved consisting of one unmanned qualification flight, one manned qualification flight, and four fullyequipped manned flights.(4) The rough, in-house cost estimate 

of such a program was $1.5 billion. 

During the twelve months subsequent to program approval 

by the President, MOL activities focused on detailed program 

definition, the selection of major subcontractors, and contract 

negotiations. In the Spring/Summer of 1966, the technical scope 

of the program was broadened to provide greater flexibility in 

accomplishing the MOL mission. As a result, the flight schedule 

was increased to seven launches that included two unmanned vehicle 

qualification flights, a manned experimental prototype flight, 

and four fully-equipped development flights.(5) The first manned 

flight was scheduled for late calendar year 1969 at this time. 

Footnotes: 

(3), (4), (5) - See Classified Atch. 

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Phase II (Engineering Development of the total system) 

began in September 1966 toward a seven flight program, with 

a reasonably-refined total program cost estimate of approximately $1.98 billion. Unfortunately, contractor negotiations 

were still underway at the time the FY 68 Budget Estimate was 

being compiled and the FY 68 dollar needs were not well defined 

and could not be adequately justified. The Air Force submitted 

a requirement to OSD for $510 million; this was subsequently 

reduced first to $480 million, and then to $430 million in the 

DoD FY 1968 Budget Estimate submitted to Congress. 

By the Spring of CY 1967, it was obvious that maintaining 

a development pace toward a December 1969 first manned launch 

might require as much as $150 million more than the $430 million 

then being considered by the Congress. To reduce FY 68 funding 

needs, a decision was made to incorporate a more advanced experiment in the first manned spacecraft and to proceed at a somewhat 

more deliberate development pace.(6) The first manned launch 

was therefore rescheduled to December 1970, and FY 68 MOL development activity began with the Air Force planning to provide MOL up 

to $480 million in FY 1968. 

Footnote: 

(6) - See Classified Atch. 

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By the Fall of CY 1967, it was quite clear that: 1. the 

program was expending funds at an annual rate above $480 million 

NOA; 2. the Air Force could not reprogram any additional money 

into MOL beyond the $430 million appropriated by Congress; and 

3. certain critical developments were going to take even longer 

than anticipated.(7) Meanwhile, estimated FY 69 fund requirements for MOL had increased to $680 million at one point but, 

by September 1967, were reflected in the Five Year Defense Plan 

(FYDP) at $640 million for FY 69. 

In December 1967, both because of the FY 68 fund shortage 

and the longer-than-planned development phase, the first manned 

launch was rescheduled to August 1971. Following a Secretary 

of Defense level review of program and funding alternatives, 

$600 million was included for MOL in the FY 69 Budget Estimate 

submitted to Congress; and a like amount was reflected in the 

FYDP for FY 70. 

MOL development activity proceeded along in the last half 

of FY 68 toward an August 1971 first manned launch, with work 

and expenditures predicated on $600 million NOA in FY 69. Late 

in FY 68, because of the impending Congressional $6 billion 

Footnote: 

(7) - See Classified Atch. 

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11P-SfORETreduction in Federal FY 69 expenditures, it was apparent that DoD 

could not fund MOL at the $600 million level. In June, USAF/OSD 

decided to reduce MOL FY 69 NOA to $515 million, and the first 

manned flight was rescheduled to December 1971. $600 million 

NOA for FY 70 was planned at that time. 

In the preparation of the FY 70 Budget Estimate in December 

1968, the NOA level for MOL was reduced to $576 million from the 

previously planned $600 million. At the same time, it was obvious 

to MOL management that at least $635-640 million would be needed 

in FY 70 (contractor estimates were considerably higher) to continue the on-going development pace toward a December 1971 first 

manned launch. It was understood in the Air Force and OSD that 

$576 million NOA in FY 70 would result in some additional development stretchout and another increase in total program cost. 

With the impending change in Administration, it was assumed 

that a reappraisal of MOL was in the offing; therefore, because 

of uncertainty of the level at which MOL might be supported and 

because of the sizable effort and cost involved in a major rescheduling exercise, action was not initiated immediately to replan 

the MOL Program on the basis of $576 million NOA in FY 70. Development activity continued toward a December 1971 first manned launch 

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with the understanding that required rescheduling would be 

accomplished before the end of FY 69. 

In early March 1969, the flight schedule was reduced to 

six launches,(8) and the FY 1970 fund requirement was reduced 

from $576 million to $556 million to reflect this reduction in 

program scope. Near the end of March 1969, the FY 1970 fund 

request was further reduced to $525 million. When the program 

was adjusted to accommodate the FY 1970 funding level, the 

first manned launch had to be delayed again to approximately 

mid-CY 1972, and the total program cost since the start of engineering development was tentatively estimated at approximately 

$2.925 billion. 

This decision was followed by a series of replanning meetings 

between the MOL Project Office and the Associate Contractors. 

During these meetings, program future years fund requirements and 

total costs were further refined and indicated that FY 1971 and 

FY 1972 fund requirements would be about $600 million and $515 

million, respectively, with a total program cost of approximately 

$3.1 billion. 

Footnote: 

(8) - See Classified Atch. 
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In summary, the MOL Program was underfunded by more than 

$100 million in Fiscal Years 1968 and 1969, and would have been 

underfunded about that much in FY 1970. 

Since the start of engineering development in September 1966, 

the estimated total cost had increased from about two to three 

billion dollars and the development phase had been extended almost 

2 years; at least half of the stretchout and cost increase was 

attributable solely to underfunding. 

Two Atchs: 

1. Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) 

System Description 

2. Classified Footnotes 

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MANNED ORBITING ORBITING LABORATORY (MOL) SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 

The major elements of the 30,000 pound MOL Spacecraft consisted of the Gemini B ascent re-entry vehicle, a Laboratory 

Module consisting of both a pressurized compartment and an unpressurezed service section housing oxygen, helium, hydrogen, 

fuel cells, attitude control and auxiliary propulsion systems; 

and an unpressurized Mission Module to house experimental 

equipment. 

The Gemini B, Laboratory Module, and Mission Module were 

to be launched as an integral unit by a Titan HIM booster into 

an 80 x 186 nm elliptical orbit. Sufficient expendables were 

to be carried for at least 30 days of on-orbit "shirt-sleeve" 

operations by the two-man MOL crews. 

The Titan HIM would have been a modified version of the 

standard Titan IIIC booster. The number of segments in each 

120-inch diameter strap-on solid rocket motor were being increased from five to seven; the Transtage would have been removed for increased low altitude performance, and higher expansion 

ratio nozzles were planned for the first stage of the core for 

better performance. 

A single pad facility, the SLC-6 at Vandenberg AFB, to permit 

safe launches into polar orbits, is partially completed. 

On-orbit command and control was to be exercised through 

existing facilities of the Air Force Satellite Control Facility 

(SCF). Only minor modifications would have been necessary to 

accommodate MOL -- primarily, increased computer capacity; and the 

addition of voice communications. Gemini recovery in the Pacific 

or Atlantic would have been accomplished by a portion of the DoD 

air and sea forces also used for the Apollo Program. 

Fourteen Air Force, Navy, and Marine graduates of the Air Force 

Aerospace Research Pilot School were engaged in a preliminary MOL 

flight crew training program and were participating as project officers on various components and subsystems in the engineering development phase. The basic training was similar to that accorded 

NASA astronauts, plus specialized training in the equipment installed in the MOL spacecraft. 

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(1) Refers to the very high resolution photographic reconnaissance mission. 

(2) Director, CIA. 

(3) Specific objectives being resolution 

photography of significant targets; development of the necessary camera technology and systems for manned or unmanned 

use; to determine the extent of man's utility in space for 

military purposes; and to provide a space facility for possible other military applications. 

(4) Cameras. 

(5) Two unmanned qualification flights; one manned flight with a 

qualification test model of the camera aboard (would not have 

provided resolution); two all-up manned flights 

with production cameras; and two all-up unmanned flights with 

production cameras. The unmanned flights were strongly supported by Dr. Hornig and Dr. Land's PSAC Panel. 

(6) A "production" camera in the first-manned flight to achieve 

resolution at the outset. 

(7) Camera system. 

(8) Actually, the two flights of the unmanned version of MOL 

were deferred and a fourth manned launch was added to the 

program. 

* * * * * * * * 

DORIAN 

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Atch. 2