NRO APPROVED FOR 

RELEASE 1 JkeiLY 2.15 

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Date: 1 April 1969 • 

Precedence Addressee(s) 

PRTORTTY Action: 

Information: 

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/7 1 2_ 

DORIAN SECUR., 

FOR GEN BLEYMAIER FROM GEN STEWART. 

PART I. PER OUR DISCUSSION IN VALLEY FORGE LAST FRIDAY, THIS MESSAGE - 

CONSTITUTES AUTHORITY AND DIRECTION TO NOTIFY ALL APPROPRIATE MOL CONTRACTORS THAT: 

1. ALL FURTHER DEVELOPMENT EFFORT TOWARD AN UNMANNED MOL RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEM IN THE PRESENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN DEFERRED REPEAT DEFERRED 

UNTIL AT LEAST FY 1972. MOL CONTRACTORS SHOULD THEREFORE IMMEDIATELY 

STOP ALL EFFORTS AND/OR ',PENDITURES UNIQUE TO THE UNMANNED MOL SYSTEM. 

2. THE UNMANNED L FLIGHT VEHICLES 6 AND 7 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM 

THE PREVIOUSLY-PLANNED BLOCK I MOL PROGRAM. A FOURTH MANNED MOL SYSTEM 

LAUNCH (A NEW FV-6, IDENTICAL, TO FV'S-3,-4, and -5) HAS BEEN SUBSTITUTED 

IN THEIR STEAD. THE NEW _OCK I MOL PROGRAM THEREFORE NOW INCLUDES 

Originating Officer BYEMAN CONTROL CHANNELS ONLY Releasing Officer 

• 

Classification 

M/GEN JAMES T. STEWART JAMES T. STEW22a1r. 

LiT 
L.1 

NRO &PROVECEECal C.:12 BYEMAN coNTRoL CHANNELS ONLY 

RELEASEgY 2015 - - Classification-. 

Page 2 of 

SIX FLIGHTS: THE PREVIOUSLY-PLANNED FV-1 AND -2 UNMANNED QUAL LAUNCHES; 

AND FOUR MANNED, ALL-UP, 30 DAY RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS AT APPROXIMATELY 

SIX MONTH INTERVALS. 

3. NO ACTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN OR CHANGES MADE IN THE MANNED MOL 

CONFIGURATION WHICH WOULD KNOWINGLY PRECLUDE POSSIBLE FUTURE MODIFICATION 

TO AN UNMANNED MOL SYSTEM (AS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED). 

4. AN APPROPRIATE CONTRACTOR-FUNDED AND IN-HOUSE GOVERNMENT. STUDY 

PROGRAM WILL BE CONDUCTED IN FY 1970. A DOD DECISION ON THE FOLLOW-ON 

MOL PROGRAM OR ITS SUCCESSOR WILL BE MADE ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1970. 

PART II. ALL MOL CONTRACTS WHICH REFLECT ANALYSIS, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, 

OR PRODUCTION UNIQUE TO THE HERETOFORE UNMANNED MOL CONFIGURATION SHOULD 

BE APPROPRIATELY AMENDED AT AN EARLY DATE. ADDITIONALLY, APPROPRIATE MOL 

CONTRACTS SHOULD BE AMENDED TO REFLECT THAT FV-6 NOW IS A MANNED SYSTEM 

FLIGHT IDENTICAL TO FV-3, -4, and -5. . WITH REGARD TO THOSE MOL 

CONTRACTS THAT SUPPORTED THE PREVIOUSLY-PLANNED SEVEN LAUNCHES WITH ITEMS 

OR ACTIVITIES COMMON TO BOTH MANNED AND UNMANNED LAUNCHES (E.G. SEVEN 

T-IIIM's; FIVE FLIGHT SETS PLUS SPARE FUEL CELLS, ETC.), USE YODR OWN 

JUDGMENT WHETHER TO AMEND THEM NOW OR WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER 1970. WHEN 

CONVENIENT, PLEASE ADVISE M1 CF ACTIONS OR PLANS WITH REGARD TO MARTIN, 

ALLIS-CHALMERS, IBM, ETC , CONTRACTS IN THAT LATTER CATEGROY. 

PART III. THE SYSTEMS OFFICE WAS ADVISED PREVIOUSLY THAT ON MARCH 19 

M/GEN JAMES T. SLEWART'i 

SECRETARY LAIRD TOLD THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE IN A NON-BYEMAN _ 

• 1 OriginatingOfficer: t BYEMAN CONTROL CHANNELS ONLY '; Releasing Officer: 

Classification 
NRO APPROVED FOR 

Ob." CTNE LS O\iY 

bL1C 1Ofl 

3 ...Q.* of 3 

• 

SESSION THAT THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVED ALL MOL "OBJECTIVES" COULD BE 

MET WITH ONE FEWER LAUNCH AND THE FY 70 NOA REQUEST HAD THEREFORE BEEN 

REDUCED FROM $576 TO $556 MILLION. FOR YOUR .INFORMATION, THE FIVE YEAR 

DEFENSE PLAN THEN REFLECTED $556 MILLION IN FY 70 AND $550 MILLION IN 

FY 71 FOR MOL. . . BOTH A BYEMAN AND NON-BYEMAN EXPLANATION OF THE CHANGE 

FROM A SEVEN TO A SIX LAUNCH MOL PROGRAM ARE BEING HAND-CARRIED TO YOU VIA 

COL SKANTZE THIS DATE. . . END MESSAGE. 

Origizating Officer: 

M/GEN JAS T. SiLWART 

BYEIVIAN CONTROL CH ANNELS LY Releasing Offic: 

Classification 

',•-•-3' 3. t3 

'i"...11" 1•7',., .7" 117 

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..; :I M/G9T JAMES T. STEWART 

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