Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

MEMORANDUM 

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Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 
Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 

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RECONNAiSS,Jd~C;:: OFFICE 

HAtlOl £ VIA 

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OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR 

HANDLE VIA 

Dear Homer: 

I was pleased to receive your le~ter of A)~ii 19 and 

apprec ia te your tllOughtfu:"iless in keep:~ng us ir:..iorme(~ of 

your plans for developing an understanding of satellite 

observation policy in other governmental agencies. 

Dr. Foster 1 Dr. Wilson, and 1 have reviewed your 

proposed in-house policy s~atement on satellite observ~­

tion and agree with its content and classification. We 

be lieva it would strengthen your position witl1 the in-house 

audience to add these clarifying sentences to the bottom of 

page 1, end of paragraph 3, as follows: "The nature and 

extent of such disclosure at any given time is subject to 

approval by the appropriate nationai authorities. Specific 

studies, plans, projects and programs which are not clearly 

within permissible levels of disclosure will therefore require review and coordination within the Government priol~ 

to action by NASA to initiate or implement such stUdies) 

plans 1 proj ects and programs 0" This makes it plain to tIle 

NASA reader that the issue goes far beyond technical considerations and that the approval authority is therefore 

outside any single governmental dopartment. 

Dr. Ho~er E. Nawall 

Associate Administrator 

National Aer0~a~tics & S)ace 

Washington l D~ C. 

20546 

Sincerely, 

Alexander ~-J.. FJa x 

DOD O~IHCTlVE HOQ,ID DOES NOT APPLY 

Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 
'. 

of open skies and freedom of space. The cGmmunity of nations in 

general supports both concepto, either e~plicitly or tacitly; we rody 

expect continued and even expanded ~cceptance u~less goverl~ucnts or 

peoples believe that the exercise of theoe irecdoma viol~tes national 

sovereignty ~ invadea domestic privacy. or l.A.:m:rps prope::ty ri;;hts. 

2. NASA must therefore cD.rry out its acronau;;ic<.:.l·and "pace 

activities under carefully developed g;mund i:"1l1es that ~":':"-;;'1it 

technological progresB whileavo~Ging con;rontations that could 

jeopardize the nation's ability to work freely ;;'n Gj)ccc and in the 

air, either on a national or slobal scal~. 

3. One of the potentially moat se •• Git.ivc ... rca .. of. N..:\SA activitioG 

is earth observation from aircraft wnd s?ucccraft. Such ~pplicationa 

programs as those in meteorology or earth resources surveys run the 

risk of being misconstrued as unfriendly acts on the part of the 

United States Gove.:nment. NASA ,"",\";";';;1 L:~ the executioi.1 of its prograi4lSj 

protect the possibility of continu~d usc£ui research and development 

activity in these areas. Public acceptance of earth sensing from space 

can best be achieved over a p.:;,:::'od of ti .. ,,,,. This calls for a g:r<:ldua:;' 

and cont.rolled disclo;:,;,;; .. -e of SP[;C~iJOknC ;';;;;: •• 80::: c':'ln,bilitie:s j;:at~-ICT thiJn 

" 

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Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 
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'. Approv~d for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 

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4. Since NASA I S experience toda:=e ,,7ith CC:.:t'1 ,Gensor a/stern" in 

space extends only to meteorological ostcllitQG and n~t~o~au~ pholo~rB~~YI 

radical a departure from this prior base of published unO. open duta. 

Therefore. for the present NASA will not discuss publicly, propose, 

fund, define. develop, or include in any mission: 

a. spaceborne imagcdfo"illing devices Cap<:ibie of a grour;.d 

resolution of less than 100 ieet from 100 nautical miles altitude. 

b. spaceborne image-forming active ~mitters, such as 

lasers or radars. in any form. 

5. To assure that, even within these constraints, international 

or security sensitivities are properly conSidered. all space=Bcquired 

earth ima~gery will be subject to c L.HH,ified review p:cior to public 

or in-house releese. Procedu~es for such ~cvicw arc being developed 

by the Office of DOD and Interagency Aff~i~s. 

6. While airborn.e sensor technology ;;'s :not u .. dcr t~1e 38mG 

limitations as a:ce space syste..llS ~ sensors <:e3tcd in <lirc;:8ft for 

space app lication will conform to the gro .... "d ;:ule.;; '.-.oi.:.::c ~bove. 

This classification extends~o the existence o~ t~o ?o:icy 

to its substance. ~dd~essees will become tho=o~~~:y ~~~~~i~~ with its 

contents. will abide by its sp::';:i"-: <is we:;'l ",oJ :...:.:; ~O~~eata6 and will ~. 

so conduct: their as.;;igned duties as to <l8su;:e ;':i;;a-;: t~1e (l\;ated pol~cy 

is not contravened. 

Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 
Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 

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8. Addressees are not authorized to discuss this policy or 

its implementation except with those officials indi.cilted 0 .. tho 

distrihution list. 

James E. Hebb 

Aclr.linistrator 

Approved for Release: 2019/05/21 C05108388 
","7\ (, '::.\ ~,r~,', \.;" ;";; t-I;\:'!OL:: V1/\ Approved forRelease: 2019/05/21 C05108388 

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co~-t~OL SYS"tZy.s JO! ~\i ~-t-y' 

I~AT10NAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE Au.Y.INISTRATrON 

\VASHINGTON, D.C. 2G546 

Assis~ant Secret~ry of the Air Force 

(Research and D~velo?~c~~) 

Depa~tillent of the Air Force 

The PCH1ta80n 

\-Iashingtou, D. C. ' 20330 

Deal:' Ai: 

Ir~ r~v~e\'li:1g the sccl!::'i';:Y ~:'1d r~·L::n:~zc~~:c:G.:: cor~sic:c::.",~·t~O~:8 of ~:1a l'TAS/~ 

eartb. resources survey cffoyt, we h:Jvc G.ctc:''''".:1i:-lCa th3'~ it. is ~1CCC5[.~i:y 

to wort;;, \·Ji·ch tho user cor:~i1unity th::ough ::;0::42 for).'n81 ~:-~cchan::'cr:1 ;:z~i~~~ 

than on an ad-hoc or infonn~ 1 toois (I ~\Jc i:~(;;l t2.~t ~n i·rAt·'::~.:Jscri.cy 

'coniJ.--ni-;:tee cl-:;"",i:.:'03d by N). .. SA w'ould p::o"'vi'dc ~ cor~-::rollc~ ::1CiJ:.1S for in£o~"­

L1ation e}:chz~;ge:> policy rcvie\v, re~~i.~~~i:e::-::z valid.atiotiji ':;~"'J.d ?lan~-6ir.i.g 

coordin~tion.. tva a::e p l~nnii.lg to str~ctu::G tr,is g~OU!? \;Ji..th tl-,c 

'following mewbershi9: 

Department of Agricultu~e 

U. S. Geological Su~~ey 

Envirorr~nent::.:l Science 

Services Ailiuinistratio~ 

D~. Gcorge Me~r8n 

AssiGt&nt Sccrc~ary 

of P£g~icult.u:~~e 

Dr. Willi~m Pccora 

~i::ecto~ 

.Dr q RobG:'--~ :':G v7hi.to 

.. ~~~:-.inis·~:: otor 

Assistant S~c=c~c~y 

of the l'~',::"v7 (:7:.&:':') 

To our k.nowled:;c) o:..~ly ~"'.;;:v :i'· .. v2,.;::'~-: :-;.as tt .. c B:?2:'~~ .. :\ c:(';~::~:-~'::2.~ ~-:..C.Cc:..0~::"'-:j 

for ~cce~s to th2 poli~J b~ck2=o~nd and coo=dinstio~ ~etivi~i8C ~h~~ 

are concerned wi=h sen~or t~resholds and devc:o~~8n~ cons~r~in~s. 

;-:, .... ,~:JL..:::.: ViA 

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CC.'\~·i~:-~C:~ s'/S;~E\~S J0li"~·rL\~ 

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