Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL)
History of MOL The Manned orbiting laboratory was announced by Secretary of defense Robert S. McNamara on december 10, 1963, and placed under full development on August 25, 1965. In describing MOL to the Senate Committee and Space Sciences, Deputy Secretary of Defense Cyrus R. Vance said: [it] will likely consist of a pressurized section, an unpressurized equipment section, and an experiments module. The pressurized module should include an operating compartment with about 500 cubic feet [of] volume, and a separate living-working compartment large enough to accommodate needs for 30 days' flight, probably some 500 to 700 feet ... Payload capacity should be as large as possible. Estimates of a meaningful test program have included about 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of discretionary test equipment ... [The personnel module] will operate in a quiescent mode for the on-orbit duration, and then have the ability to loiter, manned, for about 12 hours, re-enter safely for water recovery ...The Douglas Aircraft Company was chosen prime contractor. Total cost of the program was estimated at $1.5 billion. Related category • MANNED SPACEFLIGHT Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) |