Author Topic: MOL discussion  (Read 368047 times)

Offline Dalhousie

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #340 on: 10/21/2015 10:57 pm »
I think the Ai
So NASA could afford T-38 trainers for its astronauts and the USAF could not, even though the T-38 was the standard advanced trainer at the time?  How many would they have needed? 


I think the Air Force had other priorities. Remember they started buying them in 1961 as a much needed advanced trainer. Add in the needs of training new pilots for Vietnam and I think you have your answer. By the late 1960s Vietnam was chewing up pilots. To give you a personal example, my Grandfather flew in Korea and WWII was asked to reenlist. Sadly the physical flagged something that turned out to be cancer, but for that he would have gone.

T-38 production did not end until 1972, meaning the US Air Force had more demand than T-38s. NASA didn't have similar demands and had the budget to buy them.

Thanks.
Apologies in advance for any lack of civility - it's unintended

Offline Blackstar

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #341 on: 10/22/2015 12:44 pm »
« Last Edit: 10/22/2015 04:29 pm by Blackstar »

Offline Jim

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #342 on: 10/22/2015 01:30 pm »
As proven before but confirmed by these documents, no MOL structural hardware was used on Skylab and that may be expanded to include all hardware upon further reading.

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #343 on: 10/22/2015 02:16 pm »
As proven before but confirmed by these documents, no MOL structural hardware was used on Skylab and that may be expanded to include all hardware upon further reading.

I assume you mean documents like these. Looks like NASA got an IBM 360 out of it... Seems like many of the ground computers where in demand within both the Air Force and NASA

http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/807.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/809.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/810.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/811.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/813.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/814.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/820.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/822.pdf


This one seems to list everything transferred to NASA. Notice included is waste management hardware and technology.
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/823.pdf
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Offline Jim

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #344 on: 10/22/2015 04:52 pm »
As proven before but confirmed by these documents, no MOL structural hardware was used on Skylab and that may be expanded to include all hardware upon further reading.

I assume you mean documents like these. Looks like NASA got an IBM 360 out of it... Seems like many of the ground computers where in demand within both the Air Force and NASA

http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/807.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/809.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/810.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/811.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/813.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/814.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/820.pdf
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/822.pdf


This one seems to list everything transferred to NASA. Notice included is waste management hardware and technology.
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/mol/823.pdf

Should have added flight hardware

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #345 on: 10/23/2015 12:49 am »
Lots of new MOL documents are up:

http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/MOL.html

And photos too:

http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/MOL_Pics.html

20,681 pages.  Wow.  I have some light reading to do.

The photos are easier to digest.  Are most of the shots of the test vehicle that flew, or do we know?
I really love this photo.

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #346 on: 10/23/2015 01:16 am »
Is this artwork of a later design?

And the wind tunnel model has a lot of "bumps"!

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #347 on: 10/23/2015 02:57 am »
I thought that second photo was the rocket assisted plumger used to get stuck astronauts through the tunnel ;)

Gawd, I wish I had time to really dig through this data dump, really, really wish.
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Offline kevin-rf

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #348 on: 10/23/2015 02:59 am »
btw. That first photo looks like the "telescope" is pointed up. Maybe a proposed astronomy derivative?
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Offline Blackstar

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #349 on: 10/23/2015 03:09 am »
Is this artwork of a later design?


No. That is for a civilian proposal. The contractor really tried to pitch a MOL derivative to NASA. NASA was already working on the Apollo Applications Program, so I don't know why the contractor thought they might be interested.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #350 on: 10/23/2015 03:13 am »
Apparently over 200 of the photos came from the Aerospace Corp.

Are there any good images of the camera system or the schematics released over a year ago? I have not had a chance to go through the material.

Re the Dayton discussion: Lots of people in attendance. Audio was lousy for the first half, improved for the second half. Abrahamson showed up, was not expected to make it here. Some good discussion. They gave out a MOL document collection book at the end. That is supposed to be available by pdf on the NRO website Friday in the morning.

Offline kking

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #351 on: 10/23/2015 05:36 am »
I hope somebody recorded video. But I did find this news report



Kyle

Offline Proponent

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #352 on: 10/23/2015 08:54 am »
Do people in the know say "em-oh-ell" or "mol"?

Offline Blackstar

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #353 on: 10/23/2015 10:07 am »
Do people in the know say "em-oh-ell" or "mol"?

They said "mole."

Offline DatUser14

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #354 on: 10/23/2015 12:44 pm »
I went to the lecture. It was fascinating, but it seemed that the panelists Didn't answer much in the way of questions. Dr Yarymovych seemed to be the best speaker of the group. I think I saw a few NSFer's in the audience.
Titan IVB was a cool rocket

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #355 on: 10/23/2015 12:50 pm »
Do people in the know say "em-oh-ell" or "mol"?

They said "mole."

Oh, OK, so I have been doing it wrong.....lol

This is a serious amount of documents to browse through.  I will be glad when I have some time off to read a few.  I am very excited. 
 
Was there any word on Gemini Spacecraft that may have been started before the cancellation?
« Last Edit: 10/23/2015 12:54 pm by Ronpur50 »

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #356 on: 10/23/2015 12:59 pm »

Are there any good images of the camera system or the schematics released over a year ago? I have not had a chance to go through the material.



I did not see any at that link.  They are mainly construction photos, crew cabin mockups, some training in a pool, and spacesuits.  There are some really great photos of old computers to enjoy as well.

Offline the_other_Doug

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #357 on: 10/23/2015 06:47 pm »
Do people in the know say "em-oh-ell" or "mol"?

They said "mole."

Oh, OK, so I have been doing it wrong.....lol

Me, too.  I've always pronounced it "moll," as in a "gun moll."  Pronounced roughly the same as "mall," maybe a little rounder sound to the "o"...
-Doug  (With my shield, not yet upon it)

Online catdlr

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #358 on: 10/23/2015 11:58 pm »
1960s Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory Development | Declassified Video

Published on Oct 23, 2015
In this silent films from the records of the United States Air Force, parts of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) spacecraft are showcased by men in white coats. According to the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the mission was "to place military personnel in orbit to conduct scientific experiments to determine the 'military usefulness' of placing man into space."

Source:
http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/MOL/molm.wmv

« Last Edit: 10/24/2015 10:14 am by Jester »
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Offline Blackstar

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Re: MOL discussion
« Reply #359 on: 10/25/2015 11:27 am »

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