Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392 

October 11, 1966 

}::::;~,~OR!'.3:=:-::J.1 2:"03. THE SECRET,li,Ji'Y OF THE ARMY 

THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY 

THE CHIEF OF STAFF, USAF 

::::::::o ::_::a:r<:icipation in NASA Ear-:::h Sensing Programs 

Wa ~ave ~ecently reviewed and coordinated on a proposed 

.AS£ p~cg7a~ to develop and 09erate a Multiband Synoptic 

?hctog~&~~ic Experiment (also known as t~e Multispectral Ex-

::::s:::·::_me~:-:=) 0 3.eview of the p:cc!_Josed NASA program was carried 

c -~-::: in ccns~l tat ion with DDB.&E and was conducted under polic ::..e3 estejlished by Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum, 

· '-~._::,:.) l'i'20ds for Earth Sensing from Sa tel lites," dated August 

T~s 9urpose of this letter is to advise you of our posiHANDLE VIA 

·: ::..._.~1 o:u the Iviultispectral Experiment, and to r2quest that you 

~~r2ct action to insure that DOD elements and personnel respons:_::.ie to you are informed of the governing policies. The DOD 

~~siticil on this program as stated in my reply to NASA (Attachment 1) was s9ecif ically approved by Mr. Vance with respect to 

t:c.2se ~::;olicies and related questions, and is summarized as l:ol-

(1) DOD personnel will not make oral or written 

c __ ._-::eme:.1·.::s implying current or intended DOD endorsement of, 

~=-~~ct participation in, or co-sponsorship of NASA satellite 

;:cgrams such as the Multispectral Experiment which can be 

c:~~med tQ have reconnaissance implications. The established 

SA/NAS~ meteorological satellite programs are excepted, so 

long as ~~D involvement is limited to meteorological matters. 

DOD support of NASA not peculiar to an earth sensing mission, 

SU8h as launch, range, and tracking station services, is not 

p:::...:~c luded. 

1~9~01 S~::0f1E~f EXCLUDED FRC.i ALTOMATIC REGRADING 

ODD OIRZCTIVE 5200 10 DOES NOT APPLY 

· ·· · Approved for Release: 2017/02/06 C05096392 .. 

BYE 52740 CONTROL NO _____ _ 

COPY_{-· _OF_2==-=6_cOPIES 

PAGE OF __ 2 __ PAGES 
i-IANGL[ VlA 

C0~lROL SYSTEM 

l\Ta tion.s.: ~~ecori:c.:aissance 

:COD 2,ctivities 

Office has the 

in satellite 

r2~on~~issa~ce, and ~o oue~ acknowledgment of_ such activity, 

eithe~ curren~ or anned, is authorized. 

f 0 ~j \"-'/ ~C0 agencies and personnel will not be 

:...\:.~~11.(Jrized t:o ta in open NASA space experiments 

~~valving optical sensors. 

(4) DOD agencies and personnel will be authorized 

:- , Jartic e in and provide 1ogi.stica1 and technical sup- " 

~-::,:,r··::: to NASA aircraft-borne earth sensing programs in accord-

-. a -:::h approved DOD procedures and DOD/NASA agreements, 

j~~ s~ch participation shall not extend to NASA satellite 

~~~~ra=s whic~ may follo~ and special care must be taken to 

~-,--E"r,s ·::-~s,-;; DOD is not associated with such follow-ons to 

~~~er ~ ams in any public announcements. 

"-~ ~s essential that these policies be disseminated 

/- to the many DOD ag2:c.cies having interests in earth 

l-- ams. To assist you in releasing this L'lformau--'-,l c:::·~::;ide the BYEMAN syste;11, I have att2ccJ:_2d a set of 

g,c._:::..:.~e~i.~:es having TOP SECHE'l' classificc..tioa. 

:C::; :':<"'aster 

L-~, Gen. Carroll 

Secretary Sylvester 

Alexander H. Flax 

CONTROL NO BYE 527 L'._i(),-S s ~';~1?;1r.·· ,:~ .:;::_;~:. ·:;.;_· ~ 

::i \_,., lJ t.. ~.:.... ::J) ~ .l.:. ,,_"';.! ~· 

COPY ___ OF 26 COP,fS 

PAGE,_,,;;:2'--- ___ PAGES 

Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392 
'·, l 

Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392 

HA~IDLE VlA 

1'l: ..... ~ ·: 

'. 

~ ....... '.~ 

CONTROL SYS"!'f..>.l 

r· .. .... p~~fll!111J~~.llll(llm _ ····'--~~,___:..:,. __ ,_, __ :.. __ ~ 

W.t..Sr::NGTON, 0.C. 

September 13 1966 

('le 

is in response to{your letter of June 23, 1966, 

rsc~r NASA's proposed Mrtltispectral Photographic 

.21·it:~2:1 t 0 

ID acccrdance with the existing DJD/CIA-NASA agreement 

supplement thereto, this Experiment does not involve 

s cl ::c-econnaispance quality and I see no objection 

~~c2 the stan int ~f the NRO to NASA proceeding with it as 

~2scrije~ i~ t~e attachment to your lettera 

l~ra~gements for the actual conduct of the Exoeriment 

~~ticularly with regard to any or~its involving ~verflight c~ :ecied areas) as well as t~e exploitation of the camera 

~.ucts are, of course, to be worked out in accordance with 

::::.2ce:·Drn:2nd2. tic1 No. 1 of the NSAM 155 Ad Hoc Committee July 11, 

l966 

E::::aev2r, since the question of DO.J participation in the 

~\~·:.:::=. -~tspcc-~r<:tl Experiment has implications extending beyond 

t~e N20 to Department of Defense at large, I have 

discussed ~Lo question with the appropriate officials in the 

Office cf the Secretary of Defense. 

Whi:e there is, of course, intense DOD interest in 

scientific advances in suet fields as geography, oceanography, 

and the environmental sciences generally, we believe that new 

satellite-borne sensor systems are neither the only way nor 

necessarily the besi way to collect muc~ of the pertinent 

data. When weighed against possible international sensitivity, 

t~e ben2iits which could accrue are not sufficient to warrant 

' 

Series 

P17E 52673-66 

EXCLUDED p,;._(<M .\UTOMAT:C 1'£GRADiNG 

DOD DiRECTIVE 5200 ~o Dot:;, NOTA? .J:,.Y 

Approved for Release: 2017102106 C0509639r ·- ------···-------~-·-----· 
Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392 

~;2~ p2r~;c a~ion by scientifically-oriented agencies 

o:: the I:OD iE ;;_ctivities which can be claimed to have 

:c:-.:;;c011112.issance implications. With respect to -cne 

i:::~Jor-:::ant military applications of satellite reconnaiss~~ce, ~he NRO has the sole responsibility for all DOD 

activities in this field and no open acknowledgment of 

ictivity, either current or planned, is authorized. 

Our studies have shown that the particular ~ilitary 

a~v~nt&ges of satellite reconnaissance arise from its 

u~ility ov0r foreign territories denied to aircraft over0y heavy defenses or a political inhibition. 

Oth2rwise ~ost military reconnaissance is best performed 

~~om ai~craft. This does not involve high quality sensors 

.~~~ DOD aircraft sensor activity is not limited to the NRO~ 

·:.'0 s..re, therefore, interested in the . aircraft-borne sensor 

e:-:p2rimsnts w.hich NASA plans to conduct and appropriate 

~~D agencies will be authorized to participate and to 

provids 16gistical and technical support in accordance 

vn-c_'1 c::.pp1·oved DOD procedures and DOD/NASA agreements if 

that is appropriate. However, DOD agencies and personnel 

vill not be authorized to p1rticipate in open NASA space 

eri~ents with optical sensors. This is, of course, · 

~1c-c ici.:e:1ded to preclude D'OD support not peculiar to the 

ea~th sensing program such as launch, range, and tracking 

serviceso 

In light of the above, we request that you delete from 

-c:.-.:s Mul tispectral Experiment br'ochures any reference to or 

con~otation of DOD endorsement, direct participation, or 

co-sponsorship (i.e., letters such as those included from 

the u. 8 0 Oceanographic Office, the Office of Naval Research, 

~~e Army Cold Regions Research Laboratory, etc.). 

~~. Robe~t C. Seamans, Jr. 

Saputy Administrator 

Sincerely, 

Alexander H. Flax 

N£tiona~ Aeronautics & Space Administration 

Washi on, D. C. 

HANDLE: Vl.\ 

2 CONTROL "0 BYE52673-66 

+0;1 s~:cs~~:T' EXCLUDED FRY~ AU70,'.f,Hi(. REGR;..D!NG 

000 OIRECT!VE 52:00 I 0 DOES rwr A?PlY 

' ;:;6_, __ 

Series A coev_ ... i)' __ oF~_CO?IES 

PAGE ..._; OF PAGES 

Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392 
Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392 _ _ 

·.1111m11111111111 

GUIDELINES FOR DOD PARTICIPATION 

IN 

NASA EARTH SING PROGRAMS 

?~e ~a~uty Secretary of Defense has directed all agencies 

0~ the ~0u to deal exclusively with the Assistant Secretary 

of the f'..~r Force (R&D) on matters concerning satellite-borne 

~~1ge fotming e~r~~ sensors. Direct contacts with the NASA, 

o~ st~tements, eithsr oral written, to persons outside the 

::::,0:0 w::~,:~c'.:1 could be interpr ed as indicating endorsement or 

co-spc::::sorship of, or participation in, NASA programs involving 

such sensors, are specifically prohibited. The established 

=s2A/NASA meteorological satellite programs, TIROS, NIMBUS, 

.. ~ ..•. ~~S s:::.i WO~\~E:S, are excepted from this prohibition. 

Interna~ional relatio2s of the United States and previous 

... Dlic sta,.::e:1:2nts by this J..:y;ernment require that no action 

0e take~ by ~ny member of the Department of Defense which 

would support in any way a cl that NASA satellite programs 

are directly supporting mL_i-cary cbj ectives. Further, the 

Attachment 2 

"····-~·--~Approved for Release: 2017/02/06 C05096392---- --- ----- ~ 
Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392,. 

. . 

~3~~:tm2nt of ~sfe~se must examine any requests made of other 

Gov2:n~en~ age~cies to insure that they cannot be mare economical-

~Y cat ithin existing and planned DOD resources. 

l!/L.2:-:: of ·t:::.e data desired by DJD agencies from NASA can be 

idly, at less cost, and with higher accuracy 

3y Ls ~ exisit~g ~~D aircraft as sensor platforms. All agencies 

,.., _ _,.,. ~ 

.::~_;_ :...:; this resource to meet valid requirements. 

A. ~C~ agencies and personnel should not 

~. Levy requirements on for data, either raw or 

~rocsssed, which are to be obtained from satellite-borne 

forming earth sensors, or 

Indicate in any way, actual or intended DOD particiion in, or co-sponsorship of, or endorsement of NASA _ 

sate~_:;_::_ t2 pr·;::igrams employing image forming earth sensors 

(ESS~/NASA meteorological satellite programs are excepted). 

B. :CJD agencies should submit validated requirements for 

~~~~ ~o ta obtained from satellite-borne earth sensors directly 

to the £ssistant Secretary of the Air Force (R&D). 

2 

! • 

I 

;7' ':, ->~ ·'/ 
. ,1-\pp~~veq for Release: 2017/02/06 C05096392 ____________ _ 

which plans or results of NASA satellite activities are discussed Jrovided paragr 3A, above, is not violated. 

D" DOD agencies and personnel may participate in and 

provide logistical and tecnnical support to NASA aircraftborne ea:r·th sensing progra:;;_s in acco:::_~dance with approved DOD,_ 

pl'ocedures and DOD/NASA ag:r·eements. 

E. DOD support not 9eculiar to the earth sensing missicn s~ch as launch, range, and tracking services may be 

provided to NASA satellite earth sensing programs in accordi" V!i:len NASA requests participation of a DOD agency 

or individual in a technic1l consLlting or technical support 

;:·.2c:::iaci ty ::..~el2.ti ve to the sa tel lite ec:~rth sensing program, 

s~ch request should be forwarded directly to the Assistant 

Secretary of the Air Force (R&D) for guidance as to the 

opriate response and approval. 

~~Approved for Release: 2017102106 C05096392 ··