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0111•101 OF THE SECRETARY 

APR 8 1966 

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 

March 31, 1966, and is submitted in accordance with 

the March 19, 1966 instructions from the Office of the 

Secretary. 

SIGNED 

B. A. SCHRIEV R 

General, USAF 

Director, MOL Program 

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I. PROBLEMS 

A. Eastman Kodak Facilities 

(This subject reflects progress as of April 5, 1966.) 

On April 4, 1966 the Assistant Secretary of the Air 

Force (R&D) requested and received the approval of DDR&E to 

build a special purpose industrial facility on EKC-owned land 

in support of the DORIAN effort. An approval message was 

dispatched to SAFSP this same date. 

Air Force and contractor personnel met at Hq USAF 

on April 4 and drafted the terms and conditions of the facility 

contract which received the tentative approval of both the Government and the contractor. Under the terms of the contract, the 

Government has the option upon termination or completion of, 

the DORIAN contract to take title of the building and land at 

contractor's acquisition costs, not otherwise reimbursed by the 

Government. Formal contract coverage is expected within the 

next three to ten days. 

Due to the urgent need and tight schedule for acquiring 

this facility, EKC plans to commence grading and other site 

preparations on April 5. 

B. Weight Control 

For the past six weeks, the MOL System Office weight 

reduction "Tiger Teams" have been working with contractors in 

a concerted effort to reduce the design weight of the Gemini B 

and the laboratory module. The teams have evaluated proposed 

weight reduction actions with respect to such factors as cost, 

technical risk, mission effects, etc. A similar activity was 

started with the mission module and payload contractor two 

weeks ago. A number of weight saving design changes have been 

adopted and others are still under study. As a result of aggressive 

action by the "Tiger Teams, " estimated weight of the orbiting 

vehicle is now forecast to be 32,570 pounds, including 20 per cent 

contingency of the dry weight of new hardware. This is within 

the presently postulated capability of the uprated 7-segment Titan 

III, which is expected to place 32,600 pounds in an 80°-80/155 

DORIAN 

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N. M. orbit. The weight status of each segment not including 

contingency allowances is as follows: 

(1) Gemini B . With the proposed changes, the design 

weight on which the contractor will make his proposal is 5, 579 

pounds. This is less than the specification target weight of 

5, 660 pounds. 

(2) Laboratory Vehicle (including mission module structure). 

The specification target weight is 13, 555 pounds. Prior to initiation 

of the weight reduction effort, the contractor's weight estimate 

had grown to 15, 456 pounds. This has been reduced to 14, 502 

pounds, the configuration on which the contractor will submit his 

cost proposal. However, the contractor will also provide delta 

cost estimates for an additional 13 items which can further reduce 

the weight by 1, 015 pounds. These items will be evaluated along 

with the contractor's basic proposal. 

(3) Mission Payload. The specification target weight for 

this segment is 6, 200 pounds. The current contractor estimate 

is 9, 178 pounds, an excess of almost 3, 000 pounds. The weight 

reduction team will concentrate heavily on this area during the 

month of April in an effort to achieve reductions comparable 

to those obtained in the other system segments. 

C. Material Priority for Support of MOL 

During recent months, delivery lead time requirements 

quoted by vendors of extrusions, forgings, electronic components, 

bearings, gears, high-temperature alloys, and other items required 

for MOL Phase II development, have increased markedly. The 

MOL Systems Office, in conjunction with participating MOL 

contractors, is in the process of evaluating the impact of these 

lead time stretch-outs on MOL schedules and projected funding. 

One preliminary, but increasingly clear, result of this assessment 

is the conclusion that it will be necessary to have a DX priority 

to assure that critical development iterps of the program are not 

compromised because of material delivery problems. Collection 

of quantitative schedule impact data is in process and will be 

provided to Dr. Flax to, supplement the request we have , submitted 

for favorable consideration of a DX priority for MOL. 

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D. HSQ Launch Schedule 

The recent rescheduling of the next Titan III (#11) launch 

with a Defense Communication Satellite Program (DCSP) payload, 

followed by a second DCSP launch seven.weeks later, has resulted 

in a reschedule of the MOL HSQ launch from October 6 to October 

27. Although the DCSP payloads and HSQ are scheduled on separate 

launch pads, the level of effort negotiated with the Martin Company 

and associate contractors preclude any significant concurrency am 

launch preparations which would maintain the HSQ schedule. In the 

event that all fifteen DCSP satellites do not activate properly on 

orbit, a third back-up launch (Titan III #13) must be made available 

immediately to provide full communication capability, necessitating 

another reschedule of the HSQ launch until near the end of 1966 or 

probably in early 1967. 

Since the last NASA Gemini launch is scheduled for December 

or earlier, a significant delay in launching the HSQ beyond the October 

27 date will require the Air Force to negotiate for the launch support 

presently available from NASA, as well as an extension of the launch 

support contracted for by the Air Force with McDonnell. 

II. CHANGE PAST MONTH 

A. MOL Launch Site - WTR vs ETR 

In the "Report to the Congress from the President of the 

United States - United States Aeronautical and Space Activities 1965", 

it was stated that the manned launches of MOL will be flown out of 

the Western Test Range. This announcement precipitated a flurry 

of Florida' newspaper editorials and articles berating the "transfer 

of the MOL from ETR to WTR." This caused considerable interest 

in the MOL program by Florida Congressmen and civic leaders. 

This culminated in Dr. Foster (DDR&E) appearing before the 

Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, U.S. Senate on 

February 24 "to give a full and complete explanation of the launch 

facilities required for MOL and particularly an explanation of why 

a new Titan IIIC launch complex is required at WTR." 

Subsequently, a group of 27 questions regarding the launch 

site for MOL was received from the Senate Appropriations 

Committee. Also the Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, 

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House of Representatives asked to be informed on the factors 

concerning the determination of the launch site for MOL. Replies 

have been made to all Congressional inquiries on ETR vs WTR MOL 

launch sites. 

A contract has been awarded and work has started on 

preparation of a site on Sudden Ranch for construction of the 

Titan III/MOL launch complex. 

B. MOL Funds Status 

An Obligation Authority of an additional $7.015 million 

was sent to SAF-SP on March 31 to fund identified requirements 

associated with the EKC DORIAN effort. With the $7.015 million, 

SAF-SP (General Martin) has now been funded a total of $22.431 

million and SAFSL-1 (General Berg) a total of $57. 1 million for a 

combined total of $79.531 million since Phase 1 program approval 

in late August 1965. 

C. MOL Experiments for Saturn Flight SA-209 

NASA plans to fly an airlock unit experiment on Saturn • 

flight SA-209 during the last quarter of 1967 were reported last 

month. In this experiment, the S-IV-B stage hydrogen tank is 

to be pressurized so that astronauts can work inside in a shirtsleeve environment during a 14 day or longer mission. The 

early flight offers a unique opportunity to design experiments 

directly supporting the MOL development to obtain information 

on crew activities in a large volume orbital vehicle. At the 

March 21 meeting of the Manned Space Flight Experiments Board 

(MSFEB), the Vice Director, MOL Program expressed interest 

in the possibility of conducting MOL-oriented experiments in this 

program. Dr. Mueller welcomed this interest and offered whatever 

cooperation is required to enable the Air Force to develop 

experiments. An Ad Hoc group, headed by Dr. Yarymovych, 

SAF-SL, has been established to define a proposed package of 

MOL supporting experiments. This group includes representatives 

of the .MOL Systems Office, the SSD Houston Field Office (which 

managed the DOD Gemini experiments), the Research and Technology 

Division and the Hq AFSC Office of the Deputy Commander for 

Space. An initial meeting will be held in Washington on April 13, 

1966. The recommendations are to be presented to the Director, 

MOL Program prior to the next MSFEB meeting near the end of 

May. 

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D. MOL Recovery Support - Henderson Island 

Methods for flight crew and spacecraft retrieval in the 

event of an abort during powered flight are being investigated. 

The method of using C-130 aircraft and CH-3G helicopters staging 

from a base at Henderson Island (Pitcairn Group, U.K.) appears 

worthy of further investigation. Since very little information is 

available on this uninhabited island, a site survey is required 

to determine the feasibility and cost :.,.imates to construct the 

necessary facilities on Henderson Island. A request for - United 

Kingdom approval of a site survey to be conducted May or June 1966 

has been transmitted to the American Embassy, London. A 

reply was received March 28, 1966 acknowledging receipt of the 

request and the forwarding of this request to U.K. Foreign Office. 

Composition of site survey team, transportation to Henderson 

Island and facilities required are presently being established. At 

the suggestion of the A.F. General Counsells Office and the Air 

Staff (AFXPD), a SAF-SL project officer is prepared to go to 

London to explain the MOL requirement if U. K. approves.. Initial 

estimate of cost of facilities, excluding aircraft and helicopters, 

required at Henderson Island was $7-10 million. This estimate 

will be refined after the site survey. Methods of retrieval other 

than a base on Henderson Island are being investigated. 

E. MOL TIIIC Utilization for Apollo Applications Program 

Anticipating a request from NASA generated by Bureau 

of the Budget questioning the cost of the Apollo Applications Program, 

the DDR&E directed that studies be conducted of possible 

application of the MOL configuration for potential NASA experiments. 

A selection of several production rates for the MOL orbiting 

vehicle and Titan IIIC 5-segment and 7-segment boosters is being 

costed. Also, the feasibility of launch of the Apollo vehicle by a 

Titan IIIC is being investigated. Reply will be provided to DDR&E 

by April 22. 

F. MOL Program Cost Review 

General Schriever has directed that, in addition to the MOL 

Systems Office review and submission of Phase II program costs, 

a supplemental cost review effort be conducted by a Cost Review 

Team and a Senior Cost Review Board. The purpose of these 

additional reviews is to have manager and specialist personnel not 

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directly involved in the day-to-day implementation of the MOL 

Program provide their experience to assist in establishing a 

realistic MOL program cost for Phase II. This supplemental 

effort is divided into two task forces. Task Force I comprises 

a Cost Review Team of six officers and two civilians chaired by 

Colonel R. J. Walling of the MOL Program Office. They will 

report to General Berg on April 18 and recommend to him any 

program cost changes resulting from their review. A Senior 

Cost Review Board chaired by General Schriever will convene on 

approximately April 26 to review Phase II program costs presented 

by the MOL Systems Office. 

Task Force II comprises a Cost Review Team chaired by 

and will review the costs of the DORIAN 

payload and the mission module and make their recommendations 

to General Martin and General Berg. A Senior DORIAN Cost 

Review Board chaired by Dr. Flax will review the findings and 

recommendations of the Cost Review Board about May 11. A 

presentation to the MOL Policy Committee of the total MOL 

Program cost estimate is planned for May 20. 

G. Technical Management Control Center (TMCC) 

The proposed TMCC at Vandenberg AFB is intended to 

fulfill three functions: 

(1) It will provide office space for elements of the 6595th 

Aerospace Test Wing and key contractor personnel. 

(2) The Test Wing Launch Operations. Control Center 

(LOCC) will be relocated from its present location in the Wing 

Headquarters building. The LOCC is the location where senior 

Wing and mission personnel are located during the conduct of 

launch operations. 

(3) It will provide a centralized telemetry facility for 

prelaunch checkout that is presently decentralized in duplicative 

equipments in the assembly buildings and at the blockhouses. In 

addition to the telemetry stations, this facility would centralize 

computers for real time data processing and display, for simulating 

AGE and providing the checkout program for the vehicle command 

system. 

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The third function could have an effect on the MOL 

Program; consequently, a study contract has been awarded to 

Lockheed to determine the feasibility and cost effectiveness of 

this function of the TMCC on the MOL Program and other space 

programs being conducted from VAFB. This study is scheduled 

to be completed by May 31, 1966. 

H. Public Release of MOL Information 

The Douglas Company released the names of the MOL 

subcontractors on March 31. The release was approved by DOD 

and carried primarily by the trade journals with little variation. 

The Deputy Secretary of Defense has directed that the HSQ 

launch be an "open" launch. An annex to the MOL information 

plan will be prepared by SAF-SL to cover this. Also, informal 

indications from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, 

Public Affairs are that the announcement of the next increment 

of MOL pilots will be handled the same as the introduction of 

the initial group -- at a press conference at SSD. 

III. CURRENT STATUS 

A. Transfer of NASA Gemini Equipment to MOL 

Preliminary negotiations for the transfer of certain 

Gemini equipments to MOL have been completed at the Manned 

Spacecraft Center. Excess spares and materiel to the NASA 

Gemini program, along with production overages and equipments 

at vendors, will be transferred to Air Force accountability. 

Mockups, flown spacecraft and certain trainers will• be made 

available; however, the Dynamic Crew Procedures simulator and 

the Translation and Docking simulator located at the Manned 

Spacecraft Center is being retained by NASA for use in the 

Apollo program. Some Gemini recovery equipment will be 

transferred to the Air Force and a sharing arrangement with 

Apollo for the remainder is being worked out with NASA. 

Twenty-three of thirty-one long lead time AGE items required 

by McDonnell for the Gemini B will be released. The remainder 

will be retained by NASA in support of the Apollo at CKSC. All 

NASA Gemini equipments identified for transfer to the- Air Force 

will be released by January 1967 or earlier when Gemini requirements 

are satisfied. 

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B. Ocean Surveillance Requirement 

Due to some changes in the conceptual system, the 

Navy has stated that it will not be ready to come forward with a 

well documented request for Contract Definition funds until July 

of this year. The MOL funds presently on hand within the Navy 

are sufficient to complete the work necessary to be ready to 

enter Contract Definition. FY 1967 fund requirements are estimated 

at $3.8 million. It appears now that a hardware system delivery 

date would be early Calendar Year 1970. 

G. MOL Instrumentation Ship 

An instrumentation ship is required approximately 700 

N. M. down range for each MOL launch. The three T -2 type 

AGM-19 class ships presently being modified for the `NASA Apollo 

Program will have the instrumentation required for the initial MOL 

flights with the exception of telemetry ground station capacity. 

The additional telemetry capacity can be provided for approximately 

$0.5 million per ship. 

A joint committee was formed by NRD to investigate the 

joint NASA/ MOL use of the three T-2 ships. The committee 

membership included representatives from Headquarters NRD 

(Chairman), Headquarters NASA, MOL Program Office, Instrumentation Ship Program Office, and NASA Manned Spacecraft 

Center. 

The NRD presented results of the joint committee and NRD 

recommended possible solutions to the MOL Program Management 

Review Meeting April 2, 1966. 

The MOL Program Director approved the following 

recommendations to support the MOL Program: 

(1) Modify two T-2 ships for added PCM telemetry 

capability required for MOL. 

(2) Plan for a T-2 ship support for first four MOL flights. 

(3) Minimum modifications to an existing instrumentation 

ship for remaining MOL flights. The estimated cost 

of these mods is $3.0 million. 

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Reference item 2 above. Ship scheduling conflicts must be 

resolved with NASA as they occur for the first four MOL flights. 

T-2 type ship support is required for the first four MOL flights 

for flight proof testing of the MOL Autonomous Guidance, System. 

When this system is flight proven, an instrumentation ship with 

less capability than the T-2 type will be sufficient for the 

remaining flights. 

Reference item 3 above . Action will be initiated to 

determine the ship instrumentation required for the later MOL 

flights. The ship most likely to be modified to this configuration 

is the "Range Tracker" (existing in the NRD Fleet) or the AGM-6 

'Watertown," (a NASA Apollo re-entry ship that may be released 

by NASA). 

D. Quantitative Assessment of Mants Usefulness of Space 

The task force of MOL Program Office personnel continued 

its efforts to locate credible data sources and assess information 

previously obtained concerning man's contribution and worth in 

space applications which bear on MOL. The approach of the 

group has been to visit government, industry and non-profit 

organizations and conduct discussions on relevant subject matter. 

During this reporting period the task force visited General 

Electric Company, McDonnell Aircraft Company, Strategic Air 

Command, the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory at 

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Eastman Kodak Company, 

Douglas Aircraft Company and Aerospace and Air Force offices 

of the MOL System Office in Los Angeles. The interviews are 

nearly complete and available documentation is being assembled 

for further review and detailed study. 

IV. FORECAST FOR FUTURE 

A. Initial estimates of MOL Phase II program costs are 

substantially higher than anticipated and action is now being 

taken with the contractors to find ways to reduce program costs. 

A recently determined increase in the time required for development, 

production and integration of the optical-photo system for MOL 

will be a delaying factor in the presently approved MOL schedule. 

It will be necessary to examine the overall MOL schedule in the 

immediate future and establish a new program schedule. This 

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could have a major impact on the time phasing requirements for 

the program funding. It is planned that a presentation of realistic 

program costs will be made to the MOL Policy Committee about 

May 20. 

B. A MOL Program Review was held at the MOL Systems 

Office on April 2. A detailed report of the items covered at this 

meeting will be contained in the next monthly status report. 

V. DUE DATE FOR NEXT PROGRESS REPORT 

Next monthly MOL Program Progress Report to be 

submitted May 6, 1966. 

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