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HA.NDLE VIA 

BYEMAN 

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Dear Homer: 

I was pleased to receive your letter of April 19 and 

appreciate your thoughtfulness in keeping us informed of 

your plans for developing an understanding of satellite 

observation policy in other governmental agencies o 

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

proposed in-house policy statement on satellite observation and agree with its content and classification. We 

believe it would strengthen your position with the in-house 

audience to add these clarifying sentences to the bottom of 

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

extent of such disclosure at any given time is subject to 

approval by the appropriate national 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 prior 

to action by NASA to initiate or implement such studies, 

plans, projects and programs o " This makes ~t plain to the 

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

outside any single governmental department. 

Sincerely, 

A lexande r H. Fla x 

Dr. Homer E. Newell 

Associate Administrator 

National Aeronautics & Space Administration 

Washington, Do C. 

20546 

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1. It is the policy of NASA to support and further the concepts 

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

general supports both concepts, either explicitly or tacitly; we may 

expect continued and even expanded acceptance unless governments or 

peoples believe that the exercise of these freedoms viqlates national 

sovereignty, invades domestic privacy, or usurps propeFty rights. 

2. NASA must .. therefore carry out its aeronautical and space 

activities under carefully developed ground rules that permit 

technological progress while avoiding confrontations that could 

jeopardize the nation's ability to work freely in space ~nd in the 

air, either on a national or global scale. 

3. One of the potentially most sensitive areas of NASA activities 

is earth observation from aircraft and spacecraft. Such applications 

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 Government. NASA must, in the execution of its programs, 

protect the possibility of continued useful research and development 

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

can best be achieved over a period of time. This calls for a gradual 

and controlled disclosure of spaceborne sensor capabilities rather than 

for any sudden revelation thereof. 

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4. Since NASA's experience todate with earth sensor syst~~s in 

space extends only to meteoro logica 1 satellites and astronaut photography, 

the first phase of technological disclosure should not indicate too 

radical a departure from this prior base of published and open data. 

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

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

a. spaceborne image-forming devices capable of a ground 

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

b. spaceborne image-forming active emitters, 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-acquired 

earth imagery will be subject to classified review prior to public 

or in-house release. Procedures for such review 'are being developed 

by the Office of DOD and Interagency Affairs. .. 6. While airborne sensor technology is not under the same 

limitations as are space systems, sensors tested in aircraft !£r 

space application will conform to the ground rules noted above. 

7. The security classification of this document is TOP SECRET. 

This classification extends to the existence of the policy as well as 

to its substance. Addressees will become thoroughly familiar with its 

contents, will abide by its spirit as well as its conten~s, and will - so conduct their assigned duties as to assure that the stated policy 

is not contravened. 

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8. Addressees are not authorized to discuss this policy or 

its implementation except with those offi.cials indicated on the 

distribution list. 

James E. Webb 

Administrator 

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