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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 15 JAN mg 

Between the Department of Defense 

(DOD) Manager fcr Manned Space 

Flight Support Operations and the 

Director, Manned Orbiting 

Laboratory Program 

1. References: 

Secretary of Defense Memorandum, subject: "Assignment 

of Responsibilities of the Department of Defense Manager for 

Manned Space Flight Support Operations," dated 8 September 1964; 

and Secretary of the Air. Force Order No. 117.4, dated 25 August 

1965. 

2. Purpose: 

To identify management responsibilities and organizational 

interfaces and to delineate the support which will be provided by 

the DOD Manager to the MOL Program. 

3. Organizational Interface: 

The primary organization interfaces are between the .MOL 

Systems Office, Los Angeles AF Station, and the joint staff. 

organization (DDMS) of the DOD, Manager. at Patrick AFB and the 

Commander, Air Force Western Test Range, Vandenberg APB. .The 

DOD Manager will designate the Commander0'1FWTR, as the Deputy, 

DOD Manager for MOL. 
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4. Responsibilities: 

a. The DOD Manager will provide support` as follows: 

(1) Recovery of the MOL astronauts and the GEMINI B 

in all areas specified in the MOL Manned Recovery Requirements 

Document and the GEMINI B Recovery Requirements Document. The 

DOD Manager will prepare a MOL Recovery SuppOrt Plan in response 

to those documents for the approval of the Director, MOL. 

(2) Launch operational support at the Air Force Western 

Test Range (AFWTR) in compliance with the MOL Program Requirements 

Document. This support will be integrated into the overall DOD 

support plans. 

(3) Orbital network support (tracking and communications) 

as requested by the Air Force Satellite Control Force (AFSCF). 

The orbital network will be defined in the MOL Orbital Requirements Document and will be the primary responsibility of the 

AFSCF. DOD and/or NASA resources outside AFSCF capabilities as 

required will be provided by the DOD Manager. 

(4) Recovery communications as identified in. the MOL 

Manned Recovery Requirements Document, and the MOL Recovery Support 

Plan. 

(5) Bioastronautic support in compliance with the MOL 

Manned Recovery Requirements Document. This will include partial 

and/or full ground medical support in all geographical locations. 
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(6) Meteorological support as identified in appropriate 

MOL requirements documents.. Such support will be primarily that 

necessary to support recovery operations. 

(7) Public affairs and information support in compliance 

with appropriate Public Information Annexes of the various MOL 

requirements documents. The Director, MOL, is responsible for 

securing DOD approval of these Public Information Annexes. 

(8) General support in such special areas as photography 

of recovery operations and transportation of recovered astronauts 

and GEMINI vehicles in compliance with appropriate MOL requirements documents. 

b. The DOD Manager is not responsible for initiating any 

associated MOL development, programming or budgeting for resources,. 

the direct involvement in or assuming of any MOL Program responsibility for mission experiments,.objectives or mission success. 

c. The Director, MOL, will: 

(1) Prepare the MOL Program Requirements Document, the 

MOL Manned Recovery Requirements Document, and the GEMINI B Recovery 

Requirements Document. 

(2) Approve the DOD Manager's Support Plans. 

(3) Provide appropriate conttolcetter facilities 

the DOD Manager and his staff at the Satellite Test Center 

Sunnyvale. 

(4) Provide the DOD Manager estimates of splash-down 

coordinates for recovery operations. 
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5. Command and Control Relationships: 

a. During pre- and between-mission periods, the DOD Manager 

will be responsible for conducting the necessary planning, preparations, and coordination to meet MOL Program requirements 

levied upon him, and for reviewing all plans for subordinate DOD 

Manager task-group operations. 

b. During mission periods, the DOD Manager, under the MOL 

Mission Director (to be designated by the Director, MOL), assumes 

operational control of those DOD resources committed by the DOD 

Manager to fulfill the responsibilities cited in paragraph 4. 

Mission periods extend from 24 hours prior to launch through 

recovery operations. 

6. .Direct Communications: 

Direct communications between the MOL Systems Office, the 

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DDMS, and the Commander, AFWTR, are authorized and encouraged. At 

a mutually-agreed upon future date, a resident representative of 

the DOD Manager will be stationed with the MOL Systems Office in 

Los Angeles to facilitate planning and preparation for MOL missions. 

STEWART 

Major General, USAF 

Vice Director, MOL Program 

VINCENT G. HUSTON.: 

:-- .,Major General, USAFH 

:DOD Manager,"MAnned Space 

Flight.Support'Operations