*See below for: General facility requirements, Possible European CDA costs, Costs of recommended TIROS extension The Thor-Agena B has been scheduled as the launch vehicle through CY 1964; beyond that, Atlas-Agena B costs have been used for lack of realistic cost data on possible alternative, but currently unprogramed, vehicles. Costs of a separate launch pad for the system and the associated costs of maintaining a "rapid" launch capability have not been included. It seems likely that these would be shared with other national operational systems. Costs of possible later integration into the system of an operational configuration of Aeros have not been included; estimated cost of the required Centaur vehicle, launched, is presently $8.7 million per flight. Command and Data Acquisition Stations Complete redundancy of appropriate facilities and equipment is scheduled at the Fairbanks, Alaska, site to insure operational reliability. This is because this one site acquires nearly threequarters of the data and, because of this work load, a single set of equipment would not allow sufficient "down-time" to permit necessary maintenance without significant loss of data. Special Costs The following items have not been included in the totals for the reasons stated: (a) General facility requirements, because of the uncertainty as to whether these would be constructed or leased. (b) Construction and operation of the European CDA station, in the expectation that the participating countries would assume responsibility for these costs. (c) The recommended extension of the TIROS program, which is not part of the system per se. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS POMS Membership MR. F. W. BURNETT, U.S. Weather Bureau MR. E. M. CORTRIGHT, NASA Headquarters, Chairman COLONEL C. E. ROACHE, USAF, Air Weather Service CDR. R. W. SANBORN, USN, Office of the Naval Weather Service MR. W. G. STROUD, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center DR. MORRIS TEPPER, NASA Headquarters, Secretary MR. JACK C. THOMPSON, U.S. Weather Bureau Other Participants MR. ALBERT BROWN, Federal Aviation Agency CAPTAIN W. R. FRANKLIN, USN, Office of the Naval Weather Service LT. COLONEL JERRY C. GLOVER, USAF, Air Weather Service MR. WILLIAM HAGGARD, U.S. Weather Bureau MR. DAVID HOLMES, U.S. Weather Bureau MAJOR JAMES B. JONES, USAF, Air Weather Service LT. COLONEL M. M. LAWSON, Department of the Army MR. ERNEST NEIL, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center MAJOR S. E. PEARSE, USAF, Air Weather Service TAB G DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE POSITION WITH REGARD TO SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN A PLAN FOR A NATIONAL OPERATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE SYSTEM Recommendation 1.-That the United States undertake to develop a national operational meteorological satellite system at the earliest possible date. This is being done by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the U.S. Weather Bureau, and the Department of Defense is cooperating in every way that it possibly can to help achieve an early operational capability. Recommendation 2.-That this document be accepted as the basis for initial planning and implementation of such a system. The Department of Defense participated in the production of this document and does accept the document as the basis for implementation of an operational meteorological satellite system. Recommendation 3.-That funds be made available in early fiscal year 1962 to begin implementation of the system. Funds were made available in early fiscal year 1962 to begin implementing the program, including those parts in which the Department of Defense participates. Recommendation 4.-That assignment of management responsibility for the national operational meteorological satellite system be made at the earliest possible date, and that this responsibility be placed with the U.S. Weather Bureau of the Department of Commerce. That appropriate legislative changes be made to permit the Department of Commerce to effectively carry out this responsibility. The Department of Defense concurs wholeheartedly in the assignment of management responsibility for the national operational meteorological satellite system to the U.S. Weather Bureau of the Department of Commerce. Recommendation 5.—That the U.S. Weather Bureau create a new organizational segment to manage the operational satellite system. The Department of Defense concurs. Recommendation 6.-That the Department of Commerce contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop and/or procure for the U.S. Weather Bureau the spacecraft, launch vehicles, and ground support equipment and to accomplish the launchings. Further, that NASA shall participate in such postlaunch activities as command and data acquisition, as required by the interrelationship of ground equipment and spacecraft. These recommendations are designed to support a national policy which centralizes certain types of space flight activities within NASA and the U.S. Air Force without precluding operational use of satellite observations by other organizations. The Department of Defense concurs and has continued to cooperate with NASA and the Department of Commerce in the establishment of command and data acquisition stations, as well as other activities connected with the operation. Recommendation 7.-That the satellite data users participate in the staffing of the operational system organization through assignment of appropriate personnel. The Department of Defense does as a user participate in the staffing of the various segments of the operational meteorological satellite system. Recommendation 8.-That the operational system evolve from the NASA R. & D. program, initially making use of the Nimbus satellite now under development and continue to draw on new developments resulting from the R. & D. program. That the Aeros satellite be supported for eventual incorporation into the operational system. The Department of Defense agrees that the system should evolve from research and development supported by and carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the DOD further agrees that the Aeros satellite should be supported for eventual incorporation in the operational system. Recommendation 9.-That the TIROS program be extended to provide some measure of operational capability prior to the first Nimbus launch. The TIROS program has provided a marked measure of operational capability and will continue to do so even through the first launching of the Nimbus satellite. Recommendation 10.-That consideration be given to the eventual replacement of ground communications by satellite data relay. Consideration is being given to the eventual replacement of ground communications by satellite data relay. Recommendation 11.-That immediate engineering attention be directed to the following long-range problem areas: (a) Possible replacements for the Thor-Agena B launch vehicle if it is to be made unavailable by early Thor phase-out. (b) Optimum number and location of command and data acquisition stations. The Department of Defense concurs. Recommendation 12.-That foreign countries be phased into the program at an early enough date to allow them adequate time to develop their roles. The Department of Defense concurs heartily in this recommendation and it is for this reason that the Department of Defense has urged the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to declassify subsystem A on the Nimbus satellite. TAB H MEMBERSHIP, JOINT METEOROLOGICAL GROUP OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF Cmdr. Robert L. Livingstone, Secretary. Army Col. M. M. Lawson. Navy: Capt. S. W. Betts. Air Force: Brig. Gen. N. L. Peterson. Weather Bureau: Dr. F. W. Reichelderfer. |