Appendix 1
Transmittal Letter with Report Attached from NASA Administrator James E. Webb to President John F. Kennedy, 23 March 1961
George Low, chief of Manned Space Flight, conducted a manned space study during the last two weeks of the Eisenhower administration and the early weeks of the Kennedy administration. The results are summarized in figure 1, which shows that with increased funding, three manned crews could orbit Earth in 1965; circle the Moon in 1967, using Saturn vehicles; and land on the Moon as early as 1970, using a Nova vehicle.
In order to conduct these missions at these earlier dates, increased annual funding was required, although the total funding might remain the same. I associated the increased budget request for fiscal year 1962 with the earlier flight dates recommended by George Low when I ad-libbed my summary at the end of our meeting with the President. He was well aware of the USSR’s tremendous advantage in weight-lifting capability, so my summary hit a responsive chord. He liked the summary and asked for it in writing the following day. I put pencil to paper that evening. The typed result, along with Mr. Webb’s letter of transmittal, was sent to the President on 23 March 1961, the day after our meeting.
March 23, 1961
MEMORANDUM for the President
The attached memorandum prepared by our Associate Administrator, Dr. Seamans, responds to your request of yesterday that he furnish you and the Vice President with certain information concerning NASA’s plans.
Original signed by James E. Webb Administrator
Attachment
March 23, 1961
MEMORANDUM
To: The Administrator
From: Associate Administrator
Subject: Recommended increases in FY62 Funding for Launch Vehicles and Manned Space Exploration.
The funding rates of five projects were discussed at the NASA-DOD conference with the Vice President and the President on March 22, 1961. An agenda prepared prior to the meeting summarized the objectives of these projects and indicated in each case the effect of the funding rate on the schedule. The projects are listed below along with a tabulation of the current and recommended funding rates for FY1962.
The FY 1962 increase in these key areas as discussed by NASA would amount to $190.5 million out of the total increase of $303.6 million proposed as a revised NASA budget.
The multi-manned orbital laboratory is contingent upon the Saturn C-1 which is adequately funded, and a new spacecraft for which NASA recommends an increase from $29.5 to $77.2. This increase starts an accelerated program leading to multi-manned orbital flights in 1965 rather than 1967.
The multi-manned circumlunar flight requires the Saturn C-2 and a spacecraft which will evolve from the design of the orbital spacecraft. The recommended $73 million increase in FY1962 funding for the Saturn C-2 leads to the completion of the Saturn development in 1966, and manned circumlunar flight in 1967 rather than in 1969.
A manned lunar landing requires a new launch vehicle with capabilities beyond Saturn. This vehicle, called NOVA, is still under study. It would use a first-stage cluster of the 1.5 million pound thrust, chemically fueled engines which we have under development. We are requesting $10.3 million additional over the present FY 1962 budget to accelerate the engine development. The first manned lunar landings depend upon this chemical engine as well as on the orbital and circumlunar programs and can be achieved in 1970 rather than 1973.
Subsequent lunar base operations or manned planetary explorations depend upon having a nuclear rocket to provide the much heavier payloads required for such missions. We recommend a FY 1962 increase for the development of a prototype flight nuclear engine. An acceleration of $27.5 million in NASA funds matched by an AEC increase of $17.0 million will permit initial flight tests in early 1967 instead of 1968. Further development of this type engine for use in an upper stage of the Nova will provide a payload weight capability nearly double that of an all chemically-fueled vehicle.
Increase to the level now proposed for the Centaur, Saturn, large chemical-engine, nuclear engine, and multi-manned spacecraft will increase the rate of closure on the USSR’s lead in weight lifting capability and significantly advance our manned exploration of space beyond Project Mercury.
Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
Associate Administrator