MEETING HELD ON FRIDAY, 22 MARCH, ON RECONNAISSANCE SATELLITE RELIABILITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP66R00546R000100110004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 22, 2002
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 25, 1963
• Content Type: MF

clApprove
NRO
25X1
Approved For Release 2002/06/25 : CIA-RDP66R00546R000100110004-9
NRO REVIEW COMPLETED
en tr ?2
ce Satellite Reliability
: General Robert Greer
icnionel Row L. Worthinton
General h sxshaU Carter
Dr. Fe/bort Scoville. Jr.
1963
ester
rred from a
e I box which has to be operas&
complete. The short occurred almoit tin
attainment of a sere 0 condition tiritich might explsAn wh
not occurred sooner. Neither Geo. Greer afar I fat this
very convincing ex.planation.
iriy
curred
short is.
briefer*
first
Z. Another possibility ivi that a piece of
3 box had bzokea off sec. rt. Gen.
timing of the difficulty corresponded almost exactly with an accelera-
tion blip resulting from the hlowiag off of the came
possible that the force proliecod by this settee could have been
responsible for the trouble. This would be particularly sigaificaat
since the camera doors for tee L event are larger and the force involve
coasequently greater than in Vie case of the standard CORONA/MURAL
package. This is the only isdicatten that the trouble might have been
peculiar to L no opposed to the eloodard proven reliable situation.
every other record clearly supported the perfect operation of the
TAT mad demonstrated so force which had sot been carefully pre-
tested as being acceptable to the AGENA. In this cesatectiort
doors. It is
25X1
NRO
For Release 2002/06/25 :41A-RDP66R00546R000100110004-9 Coln'
2 5X1
3
Approved For Release 2002/06/25 : CIA-RDP66R00546R000100110004-9
Gea. Greer kW
strong1 short duration force occ
very
ration.
3.
in suyr, ry, there is still a very malor lirneertataty as to th
precise cause of the failure in the rebels of all the wipe or,
the experts were mos eseerdially contiamenely reviewlas all the
records end aftenptIng to reaeh a better eaderstaading of the situation.
A special board was catereeeci tadepeadent of the people responsible
for the program to review everythiaa connected with this failure.
Gen. Greer did not believe that this board should be a contiaaing
board slime he has found it vlarst satisfactory to bring in outside
people to oversee such an investiotion and cautioning boards rapidly
become parts of the organiratios.
4. When the difficulty fruti the L shot was traced to the I
the 1 box for the next CORGI-4A mission (1160) was rerneved an
subieetsei to all types of vibration testa to determine if a *trailer
short could be produced iii it. the tame procedure was attempted
for other I boxes as down the line. No such condition could be
produced. and therefore the box has been returned to 1160. sad
full qualification of the vehicle was under way with the hap* of a
launch at the earliest by 30 ii-perch.
5. Every aspect of the forthcoming sweat is betas checked by tly,
responsible people with greet ear.. Geo. Greer c?ast4sred that
renality coutrol was a fulltime respoosibility of his people. and in
turn their responsibility to insure beaktwore costractor supervision.
He did not believe that this wase Inoctica of the *foetal board
constituted to review a specific faller* although the findings of stycl,
a board ?Sight have influence oo the continuing actions of the
responsible officers. They *ere roam:Mini their efforts to insure
that optimum quality control is bein realataised and he iadicated
he was preparing a detailed list of all of the actions which he bad
taken. or was plaruein4 to take, in order to prevent future failures.
This list will be forwarded to leaskingten when prepared.
6, One special probl telative to the AGLNA-D surfaced as a
ult
of the discussion emee this vehicle was developed with
objective of hih standards of reliability and ryrproducibility,
the contract was writtim in such a way that after the first 1/ ACENAtt,
no cliaaosti would be ,sedet attd the contractor would furnish a standard
piece of hardware which rets /104.1 opecuicatione. Whoa laving
Approved For Release 2002/06/25 : CIA-RDP66R00546R000100110004-9
Approved For Release 2002/06/25 : CIA-RDP66R00546R000100110004-9
7, If
a bettor assiorataa
Castor *ad I were very mach 1aressed with
Goartsial Greer is attachia to the situation.
0096-,63
pas. 3
I it achiovo
Both G. 1
ouseasto which
cc: MAO
Di* tion:
Copy 1 DCI
CoDy 3 - DDCI
-
Copy 2 - DNRO
Copy 4 - AD/OSA
Copy 5 Ile 6 - DDR Files
ODDR:HScoville:
Scovil1e:4
ILISZILT INCOVILLX
Doputy Director
(Roaroarcii)
Approved For Release 2002/06/25: CIA-RDP66R00546R000100110004-9
Copy
25X1