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

Exploring the Unknown 121
of understanding. Dr. Glennan appeared to accept all of it except the section
requiring joint approval on all contracts. He felt that it would not only be clearer
from a management point of view, but in addition he would vastly prefer to have
ARPA contribute its money to NASA to dispose of as it sees fit. I believe he might
accept the section as written as a second best solution to the problem but intends
to discuss his preferred solution with Mr. Johnson.
It was brought out that the public relations problem is a particularly difficult
one in this project. The possibility of firing from some place other than
Canaveral was discussed but does not seem to be feasible. It was decided that the
public relations aspect needs to be carefully planned right from the start, and they
will probably put a man on this fulltime as soon as possible. Dr. Glennan proposes
to present the MIS Program at an early meeting of the space council and possible
to solicit OCB advice on the matter of handling public relations.
Dr. Glennan attaches a very great time urgency to this project and agrees
with the desirability of seeking application of emergency funds of the Secretary of
Defense as proposed by Mr. Johnson last week. Dr. Dryden indicated that the MIS
Committee should go ahead and plan on the assumption that the money will be
available regardless of the source from which it comes. [2]
The last item of business was a rather lengthy dispute as to how the program
should be managed within the NASA. It was decided that Dr. Dryden’s recommendation
would be followed, namely that the work would be done by a task
force under Gilruth, reporting to Silverstein. This task force might have most of
its members at the Langley Laboratory, but the Langley management would have
no hand or voice in the management of the project. Dr. Glennan appeared very
pleased with the project plan and admonished the committee to put it into operation
as rapidly as possible.
[Signed]
S.B. Batdorf
Copies to:
MIS Panel
Mr. Johnson
Adm. Clark
Dr. York
Mr. Gise
Mr. Godel
Mr. Smith
Document I-16
Document Title: Robert R. Gilruth, Project Manager, NASA, Memorandum for
Associate Director, NASA, “Space Task Group,” 3 November 1958.