contractor team now engaged an Vandenberg who would be organized to assemble
the equipment, make pre-shipment checks, perform the installation at Johnston
Island, and perform the firings.
crew.
The Army would assemble immediately an experienced
None of the services proposed to furnish a crew which has been functioning
recently as a team but each could provide a satisfactory team by the proposed shot
date.
3.
What data gathering capability would be incorporated in the missile?
The Navy
plans to incorporate 4 powered pods in the nose section including 1 nose ejection
pod.
The Army would use unpowered tail pods as done on Hardtack and additionally
would engincer and build a nose ejection pod.
The Air Force would use unpowered
Atlas pods on the tail section and would have no nose-ejection pod.
They propose
to position certain items by supplemental rockets.
4.
Is any critical engineering and developments still required for each proposal?
-2)-
Here there is some notable difference between the different boosters.
JF
The Polaris
has several areas which would require some modifications and new designs:
the nose
cone shape would be new; a warhead adaption and firing ship would have to be
designed and provided; powered pods are a new requirement.
“Though Navy studies
indicate no problem should akrise in any of these efforts, the schedule necessary
to accomplish two shots by 15 June leaves no room to remedy unexpected difficulties."
For the Redstone, the nose-eject pod and the warhead adaption kit must both be
built.
The firing and fusing system used on Hardtack would be used again but with
some modifications still to be engineered.
As for the Thor, no significant
modifications of the warhead-nosecone configuration or existing adaption kits
would be required.
A new firing and fusing system would have to be developed and
the Thor has now been flown with the Atlas tail pods.
In summary for this question,
“On balance, it appears that significant engineering and development is required
for the Polaris system.
That needed for the Redstone is less by considerable degree,