Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

602
Project Apollo: Americans to the Moon
that approximately 100 million dollars of the previously discussed 326 million
dollar supplementary could have a very important effect on the schedule, but that
to do so it would have to be available in the very near future.
The November 28, 1962 NASA letter to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget
specified Fiscal Year 1963 supplemental appropriations which could be utilized to
accelerate the Apollo Program. The data contained in this letter, as well an [sic]
additional information obtained subsequently from the NASA Office of Manned
Space Flight, suggest the following estimates of possible schedule changes and
associated funding requirements--assuming that the additional funds would
become available for obligation beginning January 1, 1963:
Apollo Spacecraft Available at
AMR for the first manned flight
Without
Supplemental For
FY 1963
November 1964
With FY 1963
Supplemental
Available Jan. 1.
1963
September1964
First Manned Flight -C-1 February 1965 December 1964
First C-1B Launch August 1965 April 1965
First C-5 Launch March 1966 October 1965
First Lunar Landing Attempt October 1967 May 1967
[2] Supplemental funds required for the above:
(In millions of dollars)
Apollo $125.2
C-l 23.4
C-1B 27. 2
C-5 103.8
Construction of Facilities 47.1
Total-- $326.7
I have reviewed the arguments contained in NASA’s November 28 letter, as well as
the general technical situation in the over-all Manned Lunar Landing Program.
My principal conclusions are as follows:
1. Although some doubts are present that additional funds at this time will
expedite the Apollo system proper, there is no doubt that the date of the first lunar
landing attempt can be accelerated only if C-5 rocket availability is advanced.
2. The C-5 has been under development for a longer time than any other
major system in the Manned Lunar Landing Program and estimates for what
additional funds could or could not do for it are, therefore, more likely to be realistic