MOL TIME-LINE
MOL Chronology
H.
Kurt Strass of Space Task Group's Flight Systems Division (FSD) recommended the
establishment of a committee to consider the preliminary design of a two-man
space laboratory. Representatives from each of the specialist groups within FSD
would work with a special projects group, the work to culminate in a set of
design specifications for the two-man Mercury.
Representatives
from Avco Manufacturing Corporation made a presentation to MSC on a proposal
for a space station. Prime purpose of the station, company spokesmen said, was
to determine the effects of zero-g on the crew's ability to stand reentry and
thus fix the limit that man could safely remain in orbit. Avco's proposed
station design comprised three separate tubes about 3 m in diameter and 6 m
long, launched separately aboard Titan IIs and joined in a triangular shape in
orbit. A standard Gemini spacecraft was to serve as ferry vehicle.
·
1963 August 30 - Study for a military, orbiting, space station.
-
The
Director of Defense for Research and Engineering approved a study program for a
military, orbiting, space station.
·
1963 August 9 - McNamara sees necessity of multi-manned orbital
flights of long duration. -
In
his reply to the Vice President, Secretary McNamara stressed the necessity of
multi-manned orbital flights of long duration.
·
1963 December
10 - Cancellation of the X-20
DynaSoar project and start of the MOL project -
Secretary
of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced cancellation of the X-20 Dyna Soar
project at a news briefing at the Pentagon. McNamara stated that fiscal
resources thereby saved would be channeled into broader research on the
problems and potential value of manned military operations in space, chiefly
the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) project. These decisions on the X-20 and
MOL had been discussed and coordinated with NASA, and, although the Air Force
received responsibility for the MOL project, NASA would continue to provide
technical support. By the end of 1963 $410 million had been spent on Dynasoar,
with another $373 million needed through the first flight. It was decided to complete
re-entry testing of the Asset subscale unmanned vehicle, at a cost of $ 41
million.
·
1963 December
19 - NASA position on the Defense
Department's Manned Orbiting Laboratory project. -
NASA
Hq advised the centers regarding the agency's official position vis-a-vis the
Defense Department's Manned Orbiting Laboratory project. Both NASA and DOD
viewed MOL as a project designed to fulfill immediate military requirements.
The project could not be construed as meeting the much broader objectives and goals
of a national space station program being studied by both organizations under
post-Apollo research and development program policy agreements between NASA
Administrator James E. Webb and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara (dated
14 September 1963).
·
1963 December
31 - NASA/USAF discussions on MOL
joint control and support. -
MSC
Director Robert R. Gilruth apprised George E. Mueller, Associate Administrator
for Manned Space Flight, of recent discussions with officers from the Air
Force's Space Systems Division regarding MSC's joint participation in the MOL
project in the area of operational control and support. Such joint cooperation
might comprise two separate areas: manning requirements for the control center
and staffing of actual facilities. Gilruth suggested that such joint
cooperation would work to the benefit of both organizations involved.
Furthermore, because a number of unidentified problems inevitably existed, he
recommended the creation of a joint NASA Air Force group to study the entire
question so that such uncertainties might be identified and resolved.
·
1963 December
4 - Military space station program
which employed the X-20 proposed. -
In a
memorandum to the Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Flax disagreed with Dr.
Brown's space station proposal and argued against the cancellation of the X-20.
Secretary Zuckert informed the Secretary of Defense that he supported the posit
of Dr. Flax. Major General I. K. Hester, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, offered
a space station program which employed the X-20.
·
1963 December
5 - X-20 proposed as part of a
space station program. -
Secretary
Zuckert forwarded General Hester's proposal to the Secretary of Defense and
stated that there was no reason to omit the X-20 from consideration as part of
a space station program.
·
1963 July 22 - Johnson requests statement on the importance to
national security of a space station. -
Vice
President Lyndon B. Johnson requested the Secretary of the Defense to prepare a
statement on the importance to national security of a space station.
·
1963 November
14 - Cancellation of X-20 program
proposed. -
The
Director of Defense for Research and Engineering recommended to the Secretary
of Defense cancellation of the X-20 program and initiation of a space station
program. Harold Brown believed that Blue Gemini could accommodate significantly
greater payload for such missions. He recommended that DynaSoar be cancelled
and replaced by a Gemini-serviced space station.
·
1963 November
30 - MOL orbiting laboratory
program suggested. -
Largely
because of NASA objections to the space station proposal, Dr. Brown suggested
to the Secretary of Defense an orbiting laboratory program, employing Gemini
capsule and a 1,500 cubic foot test module.
·
1963 September
12 - Gemini, Apollo, and X-20
studied for military space missions. -
The
President's Scientific Advisory Committee requested a briefing from the Air
Force on possible military space missions, biomedical experiments to be
performed in space, and the capability of Gemini, Apollo, and the X-20 vehicles
to execute these requirements.
·
1964 December
7 - Recommendation that the Air
Force's MOL and NASA's Apollo X programs be merged. -
In a
letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Senator Clinton P. Anderson, Chairman of
the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, recommended that the Air
Force's MOL and NASA's Apollo X programs be merged. Senator Anderson argued
that a jointly operated national space station program would most effectively
use the nation's available resources. He claimed that $1 billion could be saved
during the next five years if the MOL were canceled and those funds applied to
NASA's Apollo-based space station program.Additional Details: Recommendation
that the Air Force's MOL and NASA's Apollo X programs be merged. (21913).
·
1964 February
15 - American space plans -
Following
an overview of the planned trip of Bykovsky and Gagarin to Sweden and Norway on
1-15 March, American military space plans are reviewed. There are many
fantastic projects, over a wide and well-financed front. Currently
reconnaissance satellites are flying, to be followed by inspection, and then
anti-satellite satellites in 3 to 5 years. After that manned military space
stations are planned, manoeuvrable manned spacecraft, and the establishment of
scientific and military bases on the moon. Despite this big US program, the
Soviet military leadership shows no interest in Russian exploitation of space
for military purposes.
·
1964 January 1 - Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory and
NASA's Manned Orbiting Research Laboratory studied. -
In
the wake of the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory project and the
likelihood of NASA's undertaking some type of manned orbiting research
laboratory, Director of Advanced Manned Missions Studies Edward Z. Gray sought
to achieve within NASA a better understanding of the utility of such projects
as a base for experiments in space. Accordingly, he created three separate
working groups to deal with possible experiments in three separate categories:
(l) big-medical, (2) scientific, and (3) engineering.
·
1964 January
10 - Manned Orbiting Laboratory
"an ominous harbinger...". -
James
J. Haggerty, Jr., Space Editor for the Army-Navy-Air Force Journal and
Register, called the assignment of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory to the
Department of Defense 'an ominous harbinger of a reversal in trend, an
indication that the military services may play a more prominent role in future
space exploration at NASA's expense.... Whether you label it development
platform, satellite platform, satellite or laboratory, it is clearly intended
as a beginning for space station technology. It is also clearly the intent of
this administration that, at least in the initial stages, space station
development shall be under military rather than civil cognizance....'
·
1964 June 5 - Three firms received authorization to begin work
on space station studies. - Launch Vehicle: Titan
3C.
Secretary
of the Air Force Eugene M. Zuckert announced that three firms, Douglas Aircraft
Company, General Electric Company, and The Martin Company, had received
authorization to begin work on space station studies. Zuckert predicted also
that the Titan III would be test-flown that summer and would launch the Manned
Orbiting Laboratory sometime in 1967 or 1968.
·
1965 August 25 - President Johnson announced approval for the
Department of Defense's $1.5-billion Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). -
At a
White House news conference, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced approval for
the Department of Defense's development of the $1.5-billion Manned Orbiting
Laboratory (MOL). Such a program, the President said, would bring 'new
knowledge about what man is able to do in space.' Further, MOL 'will enable us
to relate that ability to the defense of America.'
·
1965 August 25 - MOL to be launched from Canaveral and Vandenberg
- Launch Site: Vandenberg.
Launch Vehicle: Titan 3M.
DoD
revealed that newly-authorized Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program
(announced by President Lyndon Johnson the same day) would be launched from
both the Air Force Eastern and Western Test Ranges.
·
1965 December
29 - NASA support to the Air Force
on the MOL summarized. -
In
the initial activity report outlining MSC's support to the Air Force on the
MOL, Gemini Program Manager Charles W. Mathews summarized activity to date. He
cited receipt on 20 November 1965 of authority to transfer surplus Gemini
equipment to the MOL project. Since that time, he said, MSC had delivered to
the Air Force several boilerplate test vehicles and a variety of support and
handling equipment. MOL program officials and astronauts had also visited
Houston for technical discussions and briefings.
·
1965 January
23 - Department of Defense
requesting proposals for design / development of the MOL. -
Defense
Secretary Robert S. McNamara announced that the Department of Defense was
requesting proposals from the aerospace industry for design studies to support
development of the MOL (especially cost and technical data). Three contractors
would be chosen to conduct the studies, a step preliminary to any DOD decision
to proceed with full-scale development of the space laboratory.
·
1966 March 12 - Start of construction (site preparation) for
SLC-6 - Launch Site: Vandenberg.
Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C.
Start
of construction (site preparation) for Space Launch Complex 6 facilities at
former Sudden Ranch property.
·
1966 March 21 - House Committee recommended combining NASA's
Apollo Applications Program with the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory.
-
A
report by the Military Operations Subcommittee of the House Committee on
Government Operations recommended combining NASA's Apollo Applications Program
with the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory. 'Inasmuch as both programs are
still research and development projects without definitive operational
missions,' stated the Committee's report, 'there is reason to expect that with
earnest efforts both agencies could get together on a joint program
incorporating both unique and similar experiments of each agency.'
·
1966 May 20 - Representatives of the Air Force and NASA met at
Brooks AFB, Texas, to exchange information on medical experiments planned for
the Air Force's MOL project and NASA's AAP. -
Stanley
White, who headed the USAF group of aerospace medical experts, expressed strong
interest in exploiting NASA's AAP project to study the effects of long-duration
space flight on human life processes. White stated the Air Force's desire that
MOL thus be relieved of this experiment burden so program planners could direct
the program more closely toward evaluating man's utility for military space operations.
The meeting furnished the basis for closer ties between the two organizations
on their biomedical activities, observed NASA's Acting Director of Space
Medicine, Jack Bollerud.
·
1966 November
3 - MOL Mockup - Launch
Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle:
Titan 3C. Mass: 9,680 kg
(21,340 lb).
This
modified Titan 2 propellant tank represented the MOL station itself. It allowed
study of the aerodynamic loads associated with launching the MOL into orbit and
validated the very long length to diameter core represented by the MOL/Titan 3M
configuration. It is possible certain prototype MOL equipment was flown as
well.
·
1967 February
14 - MOL major subcontractors
selected -
MOL
major subcontractors announced by prime contractor Douglas: Republic for the
waste management system; Marquardt for 45 kgf and 20 kgf orientation thrusters;
IBM for computers; Garrett for ECS; Scientific Data Systems for ground support
equipment.
·
1967 March 1 - NASA / USAF MOL Collaboration -
NASA
agrees to fly four Deparment of Defense experiments planned for MOL on Apollo
Applications mission instead (later Skylab). These included an inflatable
airlock experiment. NASA also provided the Gemini 6 capsule to the Air Force
for MOL crew training.
·
1967 March 20 - MOL project delays, cost growth. -
Weight
growth of the MOL station forced the Air Force to consider upgrading of the
Titan booster. Stretching of the booster core or use of 156 inch solid rocket
motors was considered. The Air Force also dithered as to whether to compete the
Titan booster contract. Eight months were spent making the decision, and at the
end of it all the first manned MOL flight was delayed to 1970 and the projected
total cost increased from $ 1.5 billion to $ 2.2 billion.
The
Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory Systems Program Office requested that MSC
present a briefing to selected office and contractor personnel on NASA's
progress in safety studies and tests associated with fire hazards aboard manned
space vehicles. Information was requested for the MOL program to help formulate
studies and activities that would not duplicate MSC efforts. The briefing was
given at MSC May 10.
·
1968 March 1 - MOL qualification test underway. -
The
MOL mockup was completed, static structural test of flight representative assemblies
was underway, and major equpment was in qualification test.
First
test firing of seven segment solid rocket booster motor for Titan 3M for MOL.
The test at Coyote Canyon, California, generated 0.7 million kgf for two
minutes.
·
1969 August 4 - Seven astronauts from the defunct MOL project
transferred to NASA -
Acting
on an offer made by the Defense Department to assign a number of astronauts
from the defunct MOL project to NASA, Associate Administrator for Manned Space
Flight George E. Mueller chose seven astronauts to augment MSC's flight crews.
They were Karol J. Bobko, Charles G. Fullerton, Henry W. Hartsfield, and Donald
H. Peterson (USAF); Richard H. Truly and Robert L. Crippin (USN); and Robert F.
Overmyer (USMC). The decision to utilize these individuals, Mueller stated,
derived from their extensive training and experience on the MOL project and the
important national aspect of future manned space flight programs.
·
1969 June 10 - The DOD announced cancellation of its MOL
Program. -
The
program was initiated in 1965 to advance the development of both manned and
unmanned defense-oriented space equipment and to ascertain the full extent of
man's utility in space for defense purposes. Following MOL termination, NASA
requested that the MOL food and diet contract with Whirlpool Corporation and
the space suit development contract with Hamilton Standard Division, United
Aircraft Corporation, be transferred to NASA.
Department
of Defense announced cancellation of the planned Manned Orbiting Laboratory
(MOL) program from Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg AFB. The cancellation
was expected to save $ 1.5 billion of the projected total $ 3.0 billion program
costs. The SLC-6 launch facility at Vandenberg, 90% complete, would be finished
and mothballed. MOL reconnaisance systems useful on unmanned satellites would
be completed for a total cost of $ 225 million. Ten thousand aerospace workers
were laid off as a result of the cancellation.
The
first unmanned Gemini-B/Titan 3M qualification flight was planned for late 1970
at the time the program was cancelled.
·
1970 February
9 - Manned Orbiting Laboratory
environment conditioning units delivered. -
With
the termination of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, the Air Force provided MSFC
with three environment conditioning units capable of delivering fresh air into a
small enclosed space at a desired temperature and humidity. The units would be
used during bench checks and troubleshooting on the ATM experiments and the
related ground support equipment during storage and the preinstallation period.
The
second unmanned Gemini-B/Titan 3M qualification flight would have taken place
in 1971 and set the stage for the first manned mission in 1971.
·
1972 February
1 - MOL 3 (cancelled) - Crew:
Taylor, Crews.
Flight: MOL 3. Launch Vehicle: Titan
3M.
At
the time of the cancellation of the MOL program in June 1969, the first manned
mission was planned for early 1972. A crew of two would have spent thirty days
in orbit operating sophisticated military reconnaisance equipment and other
experiments.
Planned
date of second manned MOL mission at time of the program cancellation.
Planned
date of third manned MOL mission at time of the program cancellation.
Planned
date of fourth manned MOL mission at time of the program cancellation. From the
beginning of the project, the Navy had demanded that this be an all-Navy crew.
Planned
date of fifth manned MOL mission. This mission was already deleted from the FY
1970 budget request in April 1969, two months before the entire project was
cancelled.
The MOL
Space Suit System Wins
For MOL, the
Air Force wanted intra-vehicular suits with EVA capability. MOL suits were to
operate at 3.7 psi and derive life support via umbilicals from the space
station, like NASA's later Skylab program. MOL suits were to be less expensive,
more compact and more flexible than Apollo units. The requirements for
compactness and flexibility were driven by the MOL program's plan to use
already designed and manufactured Gemini capsules for launch/return vehicles.
The cabins, hatches and couches of Gemini were more compact than Apollo counterparts.
MOL suits were to be provided in standardized sizes for use by the MOL
Astronaut Corps
In pursuit of the MOL space suit contract, HS
developed, fabricated, and evaluated seven suit designs in 18 months. HS won the
MOL suit competition at Wright Paterson Air Force Base in January of 1967.
Under the MOL suit contract, HS delivered 22 suits between September 1967 and
July 1969. This effort culminated with the flight MH-8 (MOL-Hamilton Standard,
8th suit design) configuration. The MH-8 Emergency Oxygen System was a strap-on
assembly located on the front of the right upper leg that offered 10 minutes of
backup life support.
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