HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Dean Franklin L. Ford

5 University Hall

Dear Franklin

The Department’s cyclotron is continuing in operation on a very limited scale through June 30, 1968. On that date it will be shut down, irrevocably. The reasons for extending operations for six months from the first of this year were two: first, Dr. Kjellberg of the M.G.H. was most anxious to continue treating patients with the proton beam as long as possible; second, the engin­eering study of the cost of removing the cyclotron was not scheduled for com­pletion until the end of February and it was evident that the Navy would not be able to start removal for some months after that date.

Financially, the cyclotron is "on its own" during these six months; operating time is sold to the M.GH. or other users at a rate of $916 per day, including overhead. We are now asking your approval of a proposal to sell up to 20 days’ time to NASA, in response to a request from the Manned Spacecraft Center, as outlined in the enclosed letter from Mr. Koehler.

The work to be done for NASA is of some technical interest to us, and it can be performed better and cheaper on our cyclotron than anywhere else. In addition, it will bring in a small but I am sure not unwelcome sum in overhead to the G.S.A.S. and will help us to maintain the cyclotron during its last days.

Sincerely,

W. M. Preston

Director, Physics. Laboratories

WMP:mb

Encl.