FOREWORD v
PREFACE vii
INTRODUCTION ix
CHAPTER 1 THE GENESIS & BEGINNINGS OF MOL 1
DynaSoar 1
The MOL Concept and End of DynaSoar 2
Early Studies 3
MOL Experiments 5
MOL’s Proponents and Critics 7
MOL and the Public 8
MOL on the International Stage 9
MOL Takes Shape 11
The Program Office ..................................................................................................................... 13
MOL Goes Public 13
Establishing a Program Office 14
The Mechanics of MOL 16
MOL Contractors 21
An Updated Management Approach 22
Endnotes 24
CHAPTER 2 THE MOL PILOTS .29
Selecting the First Group 29
The First Group of MOL Pilots 31
Selecting the Second Group 35
The Second Group of MOL Pilots 36
Selecting the Third Group 38
The Third Group of MOL Pilots 39
Endnotes 42
CHAPTER 3 MOL UP AND RUNNING 45
Integrating Man 45
Individual Roles 46
A New Concept For Man 49
The Role of the Astronaut 52
iv
In The Words of Those Who Served Training the Crew 54
Water Training 55
Survival Training 56
Cross-Organizational Training 58
MOL’s Secrecy 58
MOL’s Relationship with NASA 60
The MOL Build-Up 61
Endnotes 63
CHAPTER 4 THE END OF MOL 69
The Debate over the Necessity of Man 69
The Soviet Concern 73
The Importance of Very High Resolution Reconnaissance 74
The NASA/DoD Overlap 75
Budget Challenges 76
MOL’s Slipping Schedule 78
Justifying MOL 80
MOL Continues 83
Talk of Cancellation 84
Terminating MOL 87
MOL’s Termination and its People 90
MOL’s Termination and its Hardware 92
Looking Back and Lessons Learned 93
Endnotes 95
INDEX 103
Product Details
- Homer, Courtney V. K.
- Pilots
- National Reconnaissance
- Manned Orbiting Laboratory
- Astronauts
- Air Force History
- Oral History
- Aeronautics History
