The White Department

TOP SECRET – AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

Dossier Ref: TWD-MEMO-1968-041B Copy 1 of 1 (Original Draft / Unbound)

Date: 18 March 1968

Location: Lookout Mountain AFS (1352nd MPS), Stage B Sub-Vault

Subject: Technical Assessment & Operational Readiness Project "Projector-11" (Staging Tests)

MEMORANDUM FOR: MERIDIAN OVERSIGHT / WHITE DEPARTMENT (SUBSECTION REGIONAL)

FROM: Special Technical Consultant / Liaison Office

1. CONTEXT AND FACILITY OVERVIEW

Lookout Mountain Air Force Station continues to operate under cover of standard Air Force photographic and nuclear test documentation services. However, following structural adjustments beneath Stage B in November 1967, four sub-levels remain dedicated exclusively to environment simulation, front-projection calibration, and low-gravity optical fidelity trials under Directive Palm protocols.

2. CONSULTANT ENGAGEMENT (SUBJECT: KUBRICK, S.)

Per White Department authorization clearance TWD-67-903, civilian Director S. Kubrick was embedded within Stage B operations under the guise of an informal military technical exchange (officially listed as "Consultant on Advanced Optical Systems and Front Projection Dynamics").

Observation Log Summary:

• Subject exhibited exceptional adherence to procedural discipline, though expressing repeated concern regarding high-luminance retro-reflective screen seams under 70mm exposures.

• Between 02 February and 14 March 1968, Subject directed fourteen (14) full-scale "Apollo 11 Surface Lighting & Horizon Staging Tests" in a sealed vacuum-simulation chamber on Sub-Level -2.

• Primary Objective: Verification of zero-atmosphere shadow contrast, regolith particle disperse patterns, and high-intensity single-source directional lighting identical to lunar surface parameters.

3. ANOMALOUS OBSERVATIONS DURING STAGING 

During Trial 09 (04 March 1968, 03:15 PST), standard 70mm high-speed test footage recorded an unexplainable optical deviation. While standard high-power arc lamps were synchronized to simulate raw solar radiation, all four secondary light meters registered a uniform baseline illumination drop of 0.004 Hz across three consecutive takes.

Marginalia Note (Handwritten by Tech-Archivist 2nd Cl. R. Vance): "Subject K. demanded a re-take, stating the horizon 'felt too deep.' He attempted to adjust the lens alignment manually. Shaft 2 exhaust fans emitted a distinct ozone/burnt-sugar odor for approximately twelve minutes. Filter inspection was denied per Palm status. Proceeded without correction."

4. DIRECTIVE AND DISPOSITION OF MATERIAL

All physical film rolls (70mm Master Negatives, Reels 11-A through 11-F) generated during these staging tests have been confiscated prior to standard Air Force processing.

• No footage from Stage B Sub-Level -2 was released to NASA, the Department of Defense, or civilian studio archives.

• Subject K. was formally cleared from the facility on 16 March 1968 following the signing of Non-Disclosure Affidavit TWD-ND-884. Subject was advised that his civilian motion picture release (2001: A Space Odyssey) would serve as sufficient public-facing rationale for his optical research activities during this period.

5. OPERATIONAL STATUS

Continue routine calibration of front-projection equipment on Sub-Level -2. Do not alter light source arrays. The staging environment remains sealed. Await further instruction under Palm.