NRO-MOL_2015

82 The Dorian Files Revealed: a Compendium of the NRO’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory Documents
Under this management plan, the Director, MOL—
assisted by a full-time general officer serving as Vice
Director ‡ —was designated “the principal operating
agent” for the program. He was to organize a strong
“integrated systems and program implementation office”
at El Segundo, Calif, headed by the Deputy Director,
MOL. The latter would be responsible for “system
procurement, design, development, test and evaluation,”
overall mission operations, including man’s safety during
all phases of manned flight, etc., and would exercise “onorbit
control of the vehicle and reconnaissance payload
in responsive to intelligence collection tasks established
by the DNRO or his designee.”
Three days after receiving these instructions, Schriever
convened a meeting at SSD of the key people who
would be involved in managing the program. They
included General Evans, who had been designated Vice
Director, MOL; Brig Gen R. A. Berg, who was named
Deputy Director, effective 1 October; and Generals Funk,
Bleymaier § , and Martin. After discussing the essential
supporting role that SSD would play during MOL’s
development, Schriever addressed Martin as follows: “I
think it is important that any time anything goes on in
the sensor area important enough to talk to your boss
[DNRO], I should also be informed. We must not keep
secrets from one another.” 9
The basic MOL management structure would be
completed with establishment of a “Sensor Payload
Office” under General Martin. Its responsibilities were to
manage all contracts for the high resolution photographic
sensor payload, i.e., the primary optics, cameras and
camera handling devices, etc. It would recommend the
contractors to be selected, be responsible for detailed
technical direction over the contracts, and provide
“contracting services” to the Deputy Director, MOL, for
all “black” contracts required by the latter. 7
After McNamara approved this MOL organization
(see chart, next page) and following the President’s
announcement, Secretary Zuckert formally designated
General Schriever as MOL Director and sent him
instructions which spelled out General Martin’s
responsibilities as follows:
The Director, SAFSP, located at
SSD, will be responsible to the
DNRO for development, acquisition
and test of the sensor payload in
response to technical specifications
and requirements provided by the
Deputy Director, MOL. He will
be responsible for all “black”
contracting, and will establish a
MOL sensor payload office, co-located
with the MOL System Office, to carry
out his responsibilities. He will
review and approve implementation
of BYEMAN security procedures.
In addition, SAFSP will maintain
surveillance over the utilization
of the critical Air Force, Aerospace
and industrial resources of the NRP
including the MOL. 8
Figure 42. Russell A. Berg
Source: CSNR Reference Collection
General Martin responded that he would try to keep
Schriever informed, but he noted that in his discussions
with McMillan, many subjects were covered with MOL
frequently mentioned in that context. He said it would be
improbable, therefore, that he would be able to inform
General Schriever of details of each discussion, but
would do his best to advise him of substantive issues.
He understood that he was to be responsive to program
guidance from the Deputy Director, MOL, and would
‡ The Vice Director was to organize and run the MOL Program Office in the
Pentagon.
§ At this meeting Schriever announced Bleymaier’s reassignment to become
Commander of the Western Test Range. He had been serving as SSD Deputy
Commander for Manned Space Systems.