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WHEN WITH ATTACHMENTS 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 

21 October 1965 

MEMO FOR Col. Paul E. Worthrnan, SAF-SS, 4C1000 

SUBJECT: Public Affairs Guidance for MOL 

Request your concurrence or comment on the 

attached proposed PA guidance for the Manned 

Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). 

Daniel C. ahoney 

LtCol., USAF 

Plans and Programs 

2E777/Ext. 71311/54265 

Atch 

a/s 

C

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• - st,z0i1Z1 graliatai 

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PLiaiNriparriAL 

Security: Policy 

Security: STIC: MOL 

Policy: MOL 

P/A GUIDANCE - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MANNED ORBITING 

LABORATORY (MOL) PROGRAM 

Public Affairs Objectives: To localize and minimize publicity 

on the MOL program. Information proposed for release should 

be limited to that data which would probably become public because 

of unavoidable public visibility. Such information will be released 

in a modest-low-key manner designed to avoid widespread adverse 

reactions on the part of the news media which would tend to over 

emphasize the military as opposed to scientific objectives of the 

program. 

General Policy: Department of Defense Directive 5200.13, and 

Air Force Regulation 205-23 apply to all DoD agencies and contractors of the MOL program to that extent required to protect the 

various military objectives and capabilities for manned and unmanned 

operation. Security procedures specified by AFR 205-23 apply to 

all military experiments and payloads and those aspects of the 

laboratory vehicle which reveal the specific mission or capabilities 

of the military payloads. AFR 205-23 does not apply to the booster 

LIONGht 

(TITAN IIIC) and GEMINI capsule; or to the laiuch of the MOL vehicle 

and the recovery of the GEMINI capsule. 

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Public Release of Information 

a. Speeches: Since minimum publicity is desired, speeches 

concerning the MOL Program are discouraged, and should not be made 

without specific authorization by OASD(PA). References to the MOL 

Program in connection with public addresses on other topics should be 

held to a minimum and should only be made where failure to do.so would 

in itself cause widespread adverse comment. 

b. Proposed News Releases: Releases concerning the MOL 

Program will be submitted through channels to OASD(PA) for approval. 

MOL information submitted for clearance should be forwarded,as early 

as practicable because of the extensive inter-agency coordination that is 

necessary prior to approval. 

c. Answer to Queries: Answers to Queries may be given, within 

the context of the following material that has been released officially. 

Q. What is the MOL project? 

A. A manned space flight project, of a research and experimental 

nature, which will put two men into space for periods of up to 30 days, in a 

"shirt-sleeves" environment, with the object of finding out more about what 

man is able to do in space and how that ability might be related to defense 

purposes. Five such manned launches are presently planned, starting in 

1968. MOL experimentation will run into the 1970's. 

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Q. Who will carry out the project? 

A. The U. S. Air Force, under the direction of the Department of Defense. The Douglas Aircraft Company and the General 

Electric Company will build the spacecraft and plan and develop the 

experiments respectively. MOL flights will be directed by the Air 

Force Satellite, Control Facility, Sunnyvale, California. We anticipate that MOL launches will be carried out from both the East and 

West Coast. 

Q. What kind of experiments will be conducted? 

A. The project directors will be considering for some . 

time yet what defense-related experiments would seem to offer the 

most promise, but there is interest by the Air Force in building and 

assembling large antennae for communications purposes, and by 

the Navy in experiments of potential usefulness in antisubmarine 

warfare. The Army has not as yet recommended any experiments. 

Other representative examples of defense research that might be 

carried out would be experiments, dealing with space structures 

technology, guidance and navigation, and extra-vehicular activity 

and equipment. In addition to defense related experiments, scientific experiments devised by NASA may be included. 

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Q. What is the relationship between. MOL and nuclear 

weapons in space? 

A. There is no relationship whatever. The MOL is a 

military program which is peaceful --- i. e. non-aggressive 

in character. MOL will not be a bomb carrier. 

At the same time that he announced the decision to proceed with 

MOL, President Johnson reaffirmed the U.S. intention not to place 

weapons of mass destruction in orbit. The President said "We 

continue to live up to our agreement not to orbit weapons, of mass 

destruction and we will continue to hold out to all nations, including 

the Sovet Union, the hand of cooperation in the exciting years of 

exploration which lie ahead for all of us." 

By way of background, two, years ago the U.S. and USSR each 

stated it would refrain from orbiting weapons of mass destruction in 

outer space or stationing such weapons on celestial bodies. The U.S. 

and Soviet statements were expressly welcomed by the UNGA in 

resolution 1884 (XVIII) adopted unanimously October 17, 1963, as 

an important step in preventing the spread of of an arms race to 

outer space. The resolution calls on all states to refrain from conducting or encouraging such activities. 

Q. Doesn't the MOL approval nevertheless mean that the 

U. S. has embarked on a new policy with respect to military activity 

in space? 

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A. No, it does not. The MOL fits into and is a logical 

next step in a continuing U. S. military program in space which 

derives from our Space Act. The Act itself makes clear that the 

U.S., while seeking to help develop space for peaceful purposes 

for the benefit of all mankind, intends to utilize its space activities 

in maximizing its defensive capability. 

The MOL was first announced in December, 1963, at the 

time when DYNASOAR, a military manned spaceflight project 

dating from the 1950's, was cancelled. DYNASOAR was cancelled 

because it was aimed solely toward the development of advanced 

reentry techniques. MOL began to be studied at that time because 

it seemed to give promise of being a broader and more useful 

research and experimental program, focussing on man himself 

in space rather than machinery, equipment, and techniques as such. 

Q. Won't the MOL approval touch off a military space race 

with the Soviets? 

A. We see no reason to think this. The Soviet Union has for 

some time been carrying out a comprehensive space program involving 

manned and unmanned flights of various kinds, and doubtless will 

continue to do so. The U.S. has no desire or intention to engaged 

in a military space race with the USSR. Our only intention is to 

take those measures in space as elsewhere that responsibility and 

prudence dictate in terms of our national security. The decision. to 

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proceed with the MOL is motivated by the need to do more research; 

it is not a reaction to any Soviet space project, program, or statements. 

Q. Why does this have to be a manned operation; couldn't 

unmanned satellites do the job? 

A. If. there were a computer which did not have to be programmed 

could therefore think independently„ and had eyes and hands to be put at 

• 

•• 

the service of that thinking ability, the human element might well be 

taken out of the manned orbiting laboratory project. Despite the onrush 

of automation, this is not the case now or in the foreseeable future. Man 

still has a unique role to play on the land, sea and in the airfor many 

defense and other purposes. The MOL project is a research effort to 

see whether this is true in the new environment of space as, well. 

. Q. Will the TITAN IIIC as it is now configured be used to 

launch the Manned Orbiting Laboratory? 

A. As previously stated, TITAN III consists of a family of 

vehicles in our building block concept. This family may run from the 

use of the TITAN III core alone to the wise of TITAN III with 7 segment 

120 inch solid motors, or 2 or 3 segment, 156 inch solid motors. For 

MOL we anticipate TITAN III with the 7 segment 120 inch motor. 

Q. Why do you need a 7 segment 120 inch rather than 5 segment? 

A. We must be prepared to launch the MOL from the Western 

Test Range and to do this requires more thrust than that necessary from 

the Eastern Test Range. 

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Q. Are you planning to launch the MOL from the Cape and 

from Vandenberg AFB? 

A. Yes we are. 

Q. What launch will take place out of the Cape and what will 

take place out at Vandenberg AFB? 

A. This will be determined later on basis of experiment 

schedule and orbits desired for each flight. 

Q. Where are the MOL mission control by location? 

A. From Eastern Test Range on the East Coast and the Air 

Force Satellite Test Center, Sunnyvale, Calif. 

Q. Will TITAN III still continue to be launched from Cape 

Kennedy XIXMfollowing the research and development program? 

A. Yes,TITAN III will be used for the Initial Defense Communication Satellite Program plus any other payloads assigned to us. 

Q. Will you build full ITL at Vandenberg AFB and when will 

this be available for the first launch? 

A. We are planning to build an initial launch capability at 

Vandenberg Air Force Base. This consists of one pad where the 

vehicle will be built upon the pad and we anticipate having a launching 

capability in mid-1968. 

Q. alave you acquired the land for your laujclung facility 

at Vandenberg AFB. 

A. No. 

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Q. What is meant by a "shirt-sleeves" environment? 

A. An environment spacious enough and safe enough to 

enable men to live, move, and work in it without having to use space 

suits. The MOL was• once described by Secretary McNamara as 

intended to be about the size of a small house trailer; what is now. 

envisaged is a laboratory "canister" about 40 feet long and 10 feet 

in diametier, joined to a GEMINI capsule, the whble `1.i:KgraXXX thing 

to be launched by a TITAN IIIC booster. Each man will have about 

400 cubic feet of space in which to live and work. 

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