Project Charles was a summer study group held at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of which F.W. Loomis was the appointed head. An agreement was formed between U.S. General Gordon Saville, Louis Ridenour, Ivan Getting and John McCone of the U.S. Air Force and designated leaders of the Institute of Technology, for the formation of the project. Preceding events such as the Korean War and the first detonation of a nuclear device by the then U.S.S.R., during the 29th of August 1949, were possible catalysts and pre-conditions for the military to find it necessary to form the project. Initially a letter contract was issued during January the 30th of 1951, and the two parties entered into contractual obligations during the 6th of August 1951 via Basic Agreement AF18(600)-11. The agreement wa