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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

WASHINGTON 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

JUL 8 SW 

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 

June 30, 1966, and is submitted in accordance with the 

June 20, 1966 instructions from the Office of the Secretary. 

SIGNED+4.47E 

1 Atch 

a / s 

B. A. SCHRIEVER 

General, USAF 

Director, MOL Program 

DORIAN 

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I. PROBLEMS 

Program Funding 

By memorandum dated June 22, 1966, SAF-SL forwarded 

for review and approval a document entitled "MOL Program Plan 

and Funding Requirements." This paper provides a comprehensive 

and detailed rationale for program schedules and costs, identifies 

a total program funds requirement of approximately $1. 75 billion, 

and defines a need for $253.9 million in new obligating authority 

for FY 1967. 

At this time, it appears unlikely that the $253.9 million 

identified as the MOL FY 1967 requirement will be made available 

to MOL. OSD has apportioned approximately $178.4 million for 

MOL in FY 1967. Anticipated Congressional action to provide 

additional MOL funds has not materialized. SAF-SL has therefore 

initiated tentative planning to accommodate reduced FY 1967 funding. 

Specifically, General Berg has been directed to study the 

following alternatives in addition to the baseline program submitted 

to SAF on June 22: 

A. Retain the baseline flight schedule, but defer all 

possible FY 1967 funds requirements to FY 1968. Explore possible 

deviations from standard government procurement practices to 

accomplish this end. 

B. Assume FY 1967 new obligating authority is $178.4 

million, and develop a revised program which retains the current 

program philosophy, but adjusts the launch schedule as necessary. 

C. Assume FY 1967 new obligating authority is approximately 

$210 million, and define required adjustments to the present schedule 

to provide for minimum slippage of the first optics flight now 

scheduled for December 1969. 

D. Propose other options as appropriate. 

The results of this study are due in SAF-SL not later than 

July 8, 1966, to provide for submission of program alternatives to 

DDR&E by July 15, 1966. 

DORIAN 

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II. CHANGE PAST MONTH 

A. Unmanned DORIAN System Studies 

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The Unmanned DORIAN System Studies are complete 

and were transmitted to Director NRO Staff, and Director, MOL, 

These studies, with the Diamond Study conducted by the NRO 

staff, form the basis of a report prepared for submittal to OSD. 

The report is being reviewed by the Director, NRO. 

B. MOL Subcontractor Selection 

The Douglas Aircraft Company has selected the 

International Business Machines Company as the subcontractor 

to provide the MOL Data Computation Subsystem. By message 

dated June 24, 1966, the Director, MOL concurred in this 

selection. 

C. MOL Abort Recovery Aircraft Staging Base 

The U.K. has granted approval for a survey party to 

visit Henderson Island to evaluate the suitability of the Island 

as a staging base to support abort recovery operations. The 

survey party will depart from Hawaii on July 9 on board the 

range instrumentation ship SUNNYVALE. 

D. PSAC Briefing 

A special panel of the President's Science Advisory 

Committee was briefed on June 30, 1966 by Major General Evans, 

Colonel Norman, and Dr. Yarymovych. The briefing was 

informative in nature, at the DORIAN level to selected members 

of the Panel, and at Secret level to additional members. 

E. Introduction of MOL Astronauts 

The public announcement of the selection of five new 

MOL Aerospace Research Pilots was made in accordance with 

OASD/PA direction at a press conference, June 17, at Headquarters, 

SSD. Ten newsmen attended, including photographers. There 

was no national news coverage, and exposure in the local Los 

Angeles area was light -- probably because none of the new pilots 

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is a native of California. It appears that the objective of a 

low key introduction was accomplished with the story receiving 

only hometown news treatment. 

F. MOL Funds Status 

Obligation authority issued during June 1966 to Generals 

Berg and Martin totalled $6.315 million. Funds released by the 

MOL Program Office since program approval in August 1965 

now total approximately $97.1 million. On June 24, 1966, DDR&E 

released to the Air Force the remaining $60.0 million of deferred 

FY 1966 MOL funds, to bring the total approved FY 1966 program 

to $150.0 million. 

G. Army Participation in MOL 

The Assistant Secretary of the Army (R&D) has 

requested the participation of one or more Army officers in the 

MOL Program. A letter to Secretary Hawkins has been prepared 

for Secretary Flaxts signature which agrees to this participation, 

and suggests direct contact with the MOL Program Office to work 

out details. 

H. MOL Ocean Surveillance Mission 

Briefings within the Navy on the conceptual design of 

the proposed Ocean Surveillance Mission for MOL are scheduled 

to be completed on July 6. The concept will be reviewed by the 

Deputy Director, MOL on July 11. The MOL Policy Committee 

is scheduled to review the concept on July 13 before it goes to 

DDR&E about July 21. 

I. Congressional Activity 

The House Armed Services Committee (Rivers) reported 

an additional FY 1967 authorization of $80 million requested for 

MOL; however, the Senate ASC (Russell) did not include the $80 

million in its report. As a result, a House/Senate Conference 

met to resolve this and other differences in authorization. The 

conference agreed on $50 million in Bill S 2950. At the same 

time, the House Appropriations Committee (Mahon) reported Bill 

HR 15941 without the additional $50 million for MOL. The Senate 

Appropriations Committee (Hayden, Russell) has the next action, 

and they are expected to begin work on their bill after the Senate 

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J. Electromagnetic Pointing System Studies 

Configuration studies for the (ELINT) Electromagnetic 

Pointing System have been completed by Airborne Instruments 

Laboratory and TRW-Systems. Final report briefings were 

presented on June 29. These 90 day studies defined an ELINT 

system which could be installed with the primary optical sensor 

to obtain data from electronic emitters to increase optical system 

effectiveness and to 

provide a capability to collect technical intelligence on high priority 

emitter s. 

III. CURRENT STATUS 

A. MOL Instrumentation Ship 

In recent correspondence with NASA, General Davis, 

National Range Division Commander, has restated the MOL 

Program position that T-2 type ship support is required for the 

first four MOL flights. General Davis has requested from 

Dr. Mueller a current reassessment of MOL/Apollo ship 

scheduling conflicts in light of the MOL schedule changes adopted 

in May. 

B. NASA Personnel Assignments to MOL 

In an exchange of letters in April and May 1966, 

General Schriever and Dr. Seamans agreed to the detail of 

NASA personnel for duty with the MOL Systems Office. In 

order to identify proper individuals for the specific jobs in the 

Systems Office, NASA requested brief position descriptions and 

other supporting data. This information has been provided to 

the Civilian Personnel offices of both AFSC and NASA. 

C. Titan III M/MOL Support of NASA AAP 

A June 17, 1966 letter from NASA to DOD requested 

response to a set of 14 questions related to determining the 

feasibility of supporting the NASA Apollo Applications Program 

through use of Titan III M and Gemini B/MOL hardware. The 

response to these questions will be used by NASA in preparing 

their submission to the Bureau of the Budget. The MOL Systems 

Office was requested by letter of June 23, to provide a written 

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report that embodies answers to the NASA questions. The 

report is due to SAF-SL by July 11. 

D. Heat Shield Qualification (HSQ) Launch 

The MOL HSQ spacecraft was accepted at the McDonnell 

plant on June 27, 1966. Review of the systems test results were 

conducted by NASA personnel in accordance with established Gemini 

Program procedures, and the spacecraft was accepted for the Air 

Force. The spacecraft will be held for shipment to Cape Kennedy 

at the end of July. Pre-flight checks will begin at that time before 

installation on a Titan III C with simulated laboratory. Scheduled 

launch date is October 27, 1966. 

IV. FORECAST FOR FUTURE 

A. A comprehensive program briefing for Secretary McNamara 

is scheduled for the afternoon of July 7th at SSD. 

B. The next MOL Monthly Management Review will be held 

in Los Angeles on July 12, 1966. Agenda items include: 

1. Overall Program Status. 

2. Flight Objectives & Readiness Status of HSQ. 

3. Status of Preparations for Contract Negotiations, 

with Emphasis on Incentive Arrangements. 

4. Review of Flight Test Objectives for Flights 1, 

2, 3, and 5. 

C. Meeting 66-4 of the MOL Policy Committee is scheduled 

for 9:30 AM, July 13. Subject for review is the Ocean Surveillance 

System. 

V. DUE DATE FOR NEXT PROGRESS REPORT 

Next monthly MOL Program Progress Report to be submitted 

August 5, 1966. 

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