COMMENTS ON MR. ROBERT MAYO'S LETTER TO MR. HELMS DATED 22 MARCH 1969 (Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72R00410R000100140009-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2004
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 27, 1969
• Content Type: MF

TOP SECRET
Approved For Release 2004112/15: CIA-RDP72R00410R00010014000 7 ~J
' 14 00023355D
opy
2 7 MAR 1969
25X1
25X1
MEMORANDUM FOR : Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director
SUBJECT Comments on Mr. Robert Mayo's Letter
to Mr. Helms dated 22 March 1969,
1. Mr. Mayo's letter of 22 March to the Director restates
the Bureau of the Budget's opposition to
I F
intelligence needs for the system. As other offices are more competent
to comment on these issues, this memorandum will be confined to
addressing several program related matters raised by Mr. Mayo. The
cost data quoted in the attachment to Mr. Mayo's letter appears to be
badly out of line. However, the NRO Comptroller-is in the best
position to comment on this issue.
The basic thrust of the letter and its attachment is aimed at
3. Attached to Mr. Mayo's letter is a graphical display
entitled "ImpL )ved Photographic Resolutior.". For search satellites
this display is inaccurate in several regards. First, in 1967 with
the introduction of the J-3 version of the CORONA system, the
NRO review(s) completed.
Release 20011Op5 R00410R0001
25
25
25
 Approved For Releass
N
IS .R 9I-DP72R00410R000100140009-4.
SUBJECT: Comments on Mr. Robert Mayo's Letter to Mr. Helms
dated 22 March 1969, F77 -7
search resolution improved from something like ten feet to seven
feet, not six feet as intended. There will be no further important
changes in the CORONA system performance. Therefore,' the
dotted extension to the curve is misleading.
5. There is also a statement in Mr. Mayo's letter which
implies that
the three inch framing camera now being flown
with CORONA is entirely adequate. Assuming that the Department
of Defense requirements for 1:50, 000 scale maps is.valid,
Mr. Mayo's conclusions about the capabilities of the three inch
framing camera are incorrect.. There is no way that adequate
imagery can be collected to meet this DOD requirement without
developing and flying a new framing camera system.
S16RED
JOHN J. CROWLEY
Director of Special Projects
DD /S & T
I I
Page Two
Approved For ReIeasT 4/ ECKATRDP72R004
25
25
25
25
 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/12/15 : CIA-RDP72R0041OR000100140009-4
Approved For Release 2004/12/15 : CIA-RDP72R0041OR000100140009-4