LETTER TO (Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04770A001500060042-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2005
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: June 5, 1968
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2005/11/21 : CIA-RDP78B04770A001500060042;
June 5, 1968
ox
Southwest Station
Washington, D. C. 20024
Dear Paul:
I am enclosing three copies of a note on
our trip to Tucson, Arizona, as one of the contract
requirements under
Sincerely yours,
r
Enclosures
NGA Review Complete
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TRIP REPORT
By:
Date: May 9, 1968
reviewed their program
and described some o their plans. He then showed me around
their present facilities.
The big thing at the I are the
plans for the new building. The plans call for 70,000 square
feet. Three levels will be below the ground and four levels
above the ground are being planned. Provision is being made
to provide a 100 foot high vertical test tower in one corner
of the building. The tower will allow testing of mirrors up
to 240 inches in diameter.
Thel is rapidly accumulating a staff. They
now have a full time academic staff of 8 with a supporting staff
around 20 to 30. Plans call for a greatly increased supporting
staff and academic staff. They are investigating the possi-
bilities of increasing their coverage by the use of joint ap-
pointments. They have established a joint research arrange-
ment with a biologist who has made some interesting advances
in character recognition.
The intends to actively engage
in research in classical optical instrumentation with a strong
emphasis on the use of modern developments. A few of the sub-
jects they intend to press forward on are:
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Digital image processing
Analog image processing
Thin films
Ionic Polishing
Atmospheric optics
Glass physics
Optical design
Remote sensing
Laser studies.
The has distributed a
Newsletter from time to time. This describes their activity
and contains interesting technical papers. Copies probably
are available by writing to
The now has a mechanical, electrical and
optical shop housed in temporary quarters. The optical shop
is equipped with two 120" polishing machines which will put
them squarely in the field of large optics. Their facilities
for small precision optics is modest.
The plans for the
ambitious, but thoughtful. Their aim is to be the foremost
in the country and their plans
are what it will take to o the job. If they manage to get
the funds to do this on schedule, it will mean that Tucson
will be a leader in this field.
Their plans are in direct competition with the
nd with the plans of at
least three of the optical companies directly involved in this
type of development activity. It is difficult to see how the
country can justify vigorous programs of this nature in
several separate locations. On the other hand, it is not
healthy to depend on one facility. In our opinion some good
governmental planning is needed to see that these facilities
do grow at reasonable rates without siphoning off all the
funds from other groups.
and limited company effort may be all the large optics projects
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this country needs. It would be very unwise for other
groups to contemplate duplicating these facilities before
first looking these over carefully.
It appears that other groups working in optical science
should concentrate their efforts on small, ultra precise in-
strumentation.
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