NRO-MOL_2015

More documents

Recommendations

Info

66 The Dorian Files Revealed: a Compendium of the NRO’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory Documents manned optical reconnaissance system capable of achieving at least {better than 1 foot} ground resolution. Other mission applications of the MOL program such as sea surveillance, COMINT and ELINT are secondary and may be accommodated if no appreciable compromise to the orbital vehicle which meets the primary objective is required. 38 Reviewing the current status of optical technology, Dr. McMillan noted that there was considerable skepticism about the possibility of fabricating mirrors in diameters greater than 60 inches. He therefore suggested that the initial MOL flights “be predicated on a mirror of approximately 60 inches of conservative design... to operate with or without a tracking mirror.” He also recommended that General Greer initiate related development work, including advanced development of larger optical systems (with diameters {greater than 60} inches) which at a future date might be used in the MOL program. In addition, he provided guidance for the award of additional “black” contracts to Itek and Perkin-Elmer ‡‡ . 39 On 26 and 29 May, in advance of meetings with the MOL Policy Committee and with Drs. Brown and Hornig, the Air Force Under Secretary sat in on several more “dry run” presentations by AFSC and afterwards suggested some additional changes for the MOL Policy Committee briefing on 1 June. In attendance at this latter briefing were Zuckert, McMillan, Flax, Marks, McConnell, Blanchard, Schriever, and Ferguson. General Evans opened the presentation with a brief resume of the recent study activity and stated the principal conclusion—that “a large optical telescope could be built for manned orbital operations, that man could plan a useful role in the alignment and checkout of large structures in orbit, and that the program could be justified in terms of the high resolution obtainable {1 foot or less} through employment of man in orbit.” 40 General Evans was followed by Dr. B. P. Leonard of the Aerospace Corp., who reviewed overall MOL, vehicle characteristics and compared the results to be obtained in high resolution optical reconnaissance from the manned versus unmanned modes. The basic argument in favor of MOL, he said, was that the unmanned optics currently being flown were able to achieve ground resolution {better than one foot} and that, at best, an unmanned system could approach {something less} as a limit §§ . However, the latter would require a major advance in the state of the art, whereas in the manned mode {one foot} or better could be achieved “with existing technology, with growth improvement toward {better} resolution.” Following Leonard’s statement, General Maxwell briefed the Committee on the results of the MOL laboratory vehicle competition. The Source Selection Board had rated the four participating contractors in the following relative order of merit: Douglas Aircraft Company, General Electric Company, Boeing Aircraft Company, and Lockheed Missile and Space Company. General Maxwell stated that the first two companies showed a clear margin of superiority over the last two. 41 The Committee consensus was that justification for the program should, as proposed, emphasize the higher resolutions that could be obtained from the manned system. The Committee approved submission of a proposed USAF MOL program to OSD but with certain changes to highlight the primary mission. A series of top level briefings followed. Dr. Brown was briefed on 2 June and the President’s Science Advisory Committee on the 10th. Dr. Seamans and other NASA officials were briefed on the 23rd. Dr. McMillan, who was quite pleased by these presentations, congratulated General Schriever “on the high quality of the proposed MOL program recently submitted for approval.” He said it was evident from the excellence of the final product that “much creative imagination, intelligent analysis, and plain hard work” had gone into it. The final briefings to the MOL Policy Committee and to Dr. Brown and PSAC, were, he said, of outstanding overall quality and “auger well for the future conduct of the MOL program.” 42 Several other factors at work during the first half of 1965 also tended to auger well for the program. One was the dramatic “spacewalk” on 18 March by Soviet Cosmonaut Pleksei A. Leonov, who maneuvered outside his space capsule for about eight minutes. No one was more impressed by Leonov’s extravehicular activity—another Soviet “first”— than members of the House Committee on Government operations. In a report on U.S. space activities released to the public, the committee strongly recommended that Secretary McNamara “without further delay, commence full-scale development of a manned orbital laboratory (MOL) project.” ‡‡ On 15 June 1965 General Martin advised McMillan that contractual actions had been initiated with Itek and Perkin-Elmer. (Msg. 8045, Martin to McMillan, 15 June 1965.) §§ The figures given by Dr. Leonard for the manned system’s capabilities were goals, not actual products. A later study (1967) of the various products obtained by the unmanned system showed that the best ground resolution ever obtained was 15.5 inches. Most flight produced results of 30 inches or more.
Chapter VII - THE LABORATORY VEHICLE DESIGN COMPETITION January-June 1965 67 The House Committee said its recommendation was made “without prejudice to NASA’s future requirements for manned space stations,” fully recognizing that such vehicles would serve important civilian as well as military space purposes. But, concluded the Committee, the “compelling need of the moment is to overcome a military lag in space technology.” 43
Page 1:
The DORIAN Files Revealed: A Compen
Page 4:
Center for the Study of National Re
Page 7 and 8:
Contents v Contents Foreword.......
Page 9 and 10:
Contents vii Chapter XII: Congress,
Page 11 and 12:
Foreword ix I am pleased to see the
Page 13 and 14:
Preface xi The Dorian Files Reveale
Page 15 and 16:
Introduction xiii President Lyndon
Page 17 and 18:
Introduction xv as determining the
Page 19 and 20:
Chapter I - Early Space Station Pla
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34: Chapter II - A National Space Stati
Page 43 and 44: Chapter III - DYNA-SOAR KILLED, MOL
Page 52 and 53: Chapter IV: PLANNING THE MANNED ORB
Page 54 and 55: 36 The Dorian Files Revealed: a Com
Page 64 and 65: Chapter V: EVOLUTION OF THE MOL MAN
Page 68 and 69: Chapter VI: RESULTS OF THE PRE-PHAS
Page 76 and 77: Chapter VII: THE LABORATORY VEHICLE
Page 88 and 89: Chapter VIII: THE MOL PROGRAM DECIS
Page 98 and 99: Chapter IX: ORGANIZING FOR CONTRACT
Page 108: 90 The Dorian Files Revealed: a Com
Page 111 and 112: Chapter X - THE MANNED/UNMANNED SYS
Page 125 and 126: Chapter XI - BUDGET, DEVELOPMENTAL,
Page 134 and 135:
Chapter XII: CONGRESS, MOL SECURITY
Page 136 and 137:
118 The Dorian Files Revealed: a Co
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Chapter XIII: AIR FORCE/NASA COORDI
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
Chapter XIV: NEW FINANCIAL AND SCHE
Page 162 and 163:
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
Chapter XV: THE PROJECT TERMINATED
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Chapter XVI: POST-MORTEM
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
Supplemental Documents InDeX
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
show all

NRO-MOL_2015

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?