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Approved for Release: 2019/05/02 C051 07060POL D -13 

GOHFIDENTIAL ( 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1400079047D 

February 9, 1968 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD 

SUBJECT: Meeting in Mro Kirk!s Office, DD/R&E ... Concerning the 

Dciinition of Outer Space ProblerD 

-1..., ~rb.c. r:~1C(!:liLg'J 0[1 S l=i\::bruary, vv8.s for th.2 Purl)ose of reviewing 

1:~e definition question and to discuss possibilities for d f&ll-back 

pOSition in the event the Do So is eventually ::'orced to acquiesce in 

a decision to define the line between terr~,~)rial air space and outer 

space. The meeting was attended by Mr. Kirk and Mr. Brockway, 

DD/R&E, I\Cr. D. Anderson, OSD/ISA, Col. Ro Ford, SAFSL, 1\11'. 

Allr:c.an, Gene ral Counce 1 f s Office, and JVlaj Lo McCarthy, AFXPDo 

2. Mr. Anderson reviewed the status of negotiations on the definition 

C'i'clestion. French proposals for developing a definition had been successfully t~warted so far. The Soviets were in accord with uS that a 

definition was impractical and unnecessary. The issue probably could 

be sidetracked for another year or so t it behooved the Uo S. to have 

a fall-oack position in event pressure by t:-~e French and others forced 

us to negotiate a space d2finilion" 

3. Mr. Brockway reviewed SOH}e '~echnical considerations that DD/R&E 

had been looking at in this conneccion. ';hese are shown in the attached 

cb.art., J'jlr .. Kirk observed th2.t, teC{111ically, tIle \Ton Karman Line 

looked pretty good and waS under the 3.l':it'c;,c.e for satellite perigees, 

except possibly a satellite with very high eccentricity. The lowest 

feasible altit1.:i.de fo1,' an unpowerec. ci~cda"~ o~bit satellite was 60 no YD. 

On t:-.e oLler hand, the situation is confused by the X-15 and the various 

re -entry programs. Thus, it will be difficult to define a satisfactory 

boundary on a technical basis unless ground rules are set out concerning sucD questions. 

Mr. Anderson volunteered to write a draft of a set of questions 

concec'1ing the assum.ptions which should be used in trying to develop 

& i\;,ture negotiating position, These would enable the implications for 

The Do So of various technical approaches to be examined. 

50 :::t was clearly the consensus of all, and vocally expressed by some 

of us, th&t we should not push too hard and too fast to develop a fallback pcsition, and that the deSirability of avoiding a definition was 

self -evideDt 3.l1d forerrwst. 

C 0 l~ If IDE ?J T I A L 

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