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DEPARTMENT OF Tht: AIR FORCE 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

MEMORANDUM 

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LIKELY AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEWELL VISIT 

1. Thank Dr. Flax for approving the TOP SECRET in-house 

earth-sensing statement and show him what is now proposed 

for release by NASA. 

2. Discuss the Volume 7 problem. SACC has reviewed the 

Panel Reports from last summer's Woods Hole conference. 

All reports save one have been edited to a point where 

they conform with SACC guidelines. The exception is 

Volume 7, on mapping and geodesy, which repeatedly proposes sensors identical to those now in use by us and, of 

course, in violation of SACC guidelines. NASA is rather 

desperate to release all Panel Reports for use at Woods 

Hole again this summer. We are negotiating on a SECRET 

classification on Volume 7, making five copies available 

but none to be distributed. This item should be left with 

SACC where I expect it to be resolved on a reasonable basis. 

There is even cause to believe that NASA may move out of 

mapping and geodesy, as a result of the inherent security 

problems accompanying any such programs. 

3. Discuss the "Community Needs" problem. NASA likes to 

picture itself as an innocent party who only transponds 

the needs of "the community." Therefore, they say we should 

not be surprised if NASA documents record needs which violate 

SACC guidelines. Two replies are indicated. First, we 

expect NASA to exercise considerable ingenuity in controlling 

community needs (as contrasted to "what do you want"). 

Second, the TOP SECRET in-house statement will be helpful 

in controlling the "community," directly via top-level NASA 

management and indirectly by the usual osmosis. (By the way, 

we've never been able to find out what constitutes a potential user.) 

4. Discuss problems with non-controlled agencies. NASA also 

likes to picture the "threat" posed by Agriculture, Commerce, 

and Interior who can "run wild" and "say anything they wish." 

While we agree that we should all push for a NSAM making 

NASA "lead crew" on non-intelligence earth-sensing, we are 

not actually being "threatened" by the civil US government. 

IN GENERAL, we are making good progress with NASA. Much of 

the credit goes to the Williamsons and Kruegers who have 

moved in on the problem and are determined to solve it. 

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1. 

morning: 

a. It is important tl-...at it'\.SA i~l)O::;C tighter ::.20]:7:'01£ on '!Wl1':::C is 

done, written and said in the field of earth sensing. 

boo 1 ... "1 essential elclT.cnt of tigh;;er ££":::;,:.1.1 is r:..s1·i :.l~~J??.".:=2, 't.::.ioh 

in turn is dependent upon, inter alia~ .app:.'ccic.tion 02 ~ho :;:':~.::'/::i;~:;;:iS:":.: 02 

ERS. Adequate appreciation of sonsitivity .a:'ld COllstr.:::.illltc irJ;:;::>:.1sd thcI'c~J~ 

does not now exi:::t vlthin 1:111.&\, m'l.d certainly not in ou;;oid.z CScn.clGs. 

c. Some, but not nearly all, oZ tho scn$itivity ~~~ate3 from 

classified sourcea. In rr;;<.l viet-1 the t:r;.~:U:03i.Hed 'bases for son:;;itivit7~ 

(the possibility that OD130rv-atiOn.s from oairc::<lft or cpuce vehicles ",.:ru,ld 

be construed as violation of sovereignty or infri~zc~nt of personal priv~cy and property rights.) .ara in tllc-woelvos ~ll'lc justification ~O%' 

imposing tighter control. 

d. The draft rem:::o of 21llirdl to ~Jt.sAts C,zntora, prC5l·.<;;n1 ~11d st.Tir 

offices, was desi.gned to point up unclsssHicd rcuc~;m.3 fer ccntrol t i',;r.d 

the designation of a single office to dovclop~ promu13~te, ~"d c~orcico 

needed control ~thin NASA end to devise ways of me~nin3£ul17 influcncioa 

cllat is done, ~~itten and Qaid by NASAts e~to~~al ~3cnto or a£fili~tQa. 

e. The development of needed control is in itself a Gcnsit::i.VG tnt.tc:r. 

The natura of EnS endeavors requires thst co~str~int~ 00 pr~cticcd by 

each end every individual involved. Tho tr..::jority of involyod indivic'luol:l 

are not a part of !~$A. Nt\sA's ebility to exerciso co~trol over them 10 

tenuous at bast. Novertheless. national interc::.t :rC'lUl:~:C'::; .tho.t zc:.:aiblc 

constraints be pr&cticed. 

f. Our first: tast,. then. becoc~s t!1:lt of cccr~ctn:::'n3 ~::d convi~lci~3 

a large number of people in indust~i. univc:rsiticn~ govok~uc~nt. ocicntific 

and engineering bodies DO WoZlll as those in tr.~A th.::.t r:;r;s is soncitivo 

.and that national interest recLuiro:,} th~t cru:e he c::o:::ci~~d in tths.t io said 

end written. 

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g. A second and perhaps more difficult task will be that of 

identifying and articulating (in terms meaningful to Uk,~y individuals 

of diverse backgrounds, interests, objectives) acceptable constraints 

on what is done, written and said which will in fact avoid pitfalls 

but not unduly inhibit initiative or deny progress. 

h. In my view, we must insist that DOD share responsibility with 

NASA for finding and following a sensible path between unduly inhibiting 

constraints on the one hand and self-defeating laxness on the other. 

This, of course, requires the exercise of judgment which should be 

arrived at only after many, varied, and complex factors have been 

recognized, evaluated, and correlated. 

i. Accomplishing these tasks will require the concerted and 

continuing efforts of thoughtful, responsible men representing various 

earth science disciplines, high level management of several gov~rnmcntal 

agencies, and perhaps most important of all, men capable of marshaling 

the strengths of many individuals and agencies. 

2. I hope that you and I can meet with Drs. Newell and Naugle, and 

Mr. Jaffe, Mr. Williamson, and Mr. Krueger at an early date. 

-

Jacob E. Smart 

Assistant Administrator for 

DOD and Interagency Affairs 

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W (JES'11art : e\vh) 

March 21, 1968 

1'1KNO RAN DUN 

TO: Directors, Field Centers 

Directors, Headquarters Program and Staff Offices 

SUBJECT: Earth Resources Survey Program 

The NASA has sought over the years to ensure that its objectives are 

generally understood, its programs are recognized as worthy national 

endeavors, and its management practices are of a high order of excellence. 

These endeavors have enjoyed some success; however, in this era of 

political, social, and economic tension and stress brought on by conflict 

in Southeast Asia, positive endeavors to achieve understanding need to be 

augmented by measures designed to minimize potential negative results. 

It is important now that we give attention and particular care to those 

endeavors that are not well understood or those which could easily be 

misinterpreted. Our R&D enqeavors to survey and assess Earth resources 

from airborne and space vehicles are among those that require special and 

continuing attention. 

The gathering of information about the earth and oceans by observation 

from aircraft or satellites promises lucrative returns in terms of things 

.. for people. On the other hand, the gathering of information 'from air or 

spaceborne vehicles could be construed as a violation of a nation's 

sovereignty, an invasion of domestic privacy, a violation of property rights, 

or infringements upon other personal liberties or governmental prerogatives. 

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in,e-rvais; de::lassified 

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We must therefore find ways by which aeronautic and space science, 

engineering, and technology can be fully utilized in the interest of 

mankind without undue infringement upon personal or governmental privileges, 

prerogatives, or sensibilities. This obviously is an important but highly 

complex matter. Satisfactory resolution requires broad, sympathetic understanding and positive harmonious cooperation by many agencies of government 

here at home, and highly sensitive negotiations abroad. These delicate 

endeavors must not be made more difficult by innocent but untimely or 

unknowing utterances or actions by the scientists, engineers, technicians, 

and managers whose competence is needed if this nation is to use its 

science, engineering and technology to produce useful things for people 

everywhere. 

Data that can be collected by observation from aircraft and satellites 

conceivably could be of great but as yet not fully determined value to many 

agencies of government, to commercial interests that deal in earth and 

ocean resources, and Qf some value at least to virtually every agency that 

utilizes knowledge of conditions and circumstances on Earth and in its 

atmosphere. Extensive R&D programs are of course required to learn just 

what useful data can in fact be gathered ..... How t.he data so gathered will 

\ 

be used by the various governmental and commercial agencies is of course 

not yet appreciated. 

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The functions and responsibilities of the many interested governmental 

agencies are not clearly defined and often overlap. Keen competition can 

also be expected among the various commercial interests. NASA is already 

involved with governmental agencies and it can expect to become involved 

with commercial agencies. Sorting out the capabilities and responsibilities 

of the various interested governmental agencies and their interrelationships 

with commercial interests will be complex and time-consuming. 

NASA's role in these endeavors are those that accru~ by virtue of its 

being one of the nation's principal R&D organizations. In the field of 

earth resources sensing, it is NASA's responsibility to conduct research 

and to apply scientific engineering and technolog~cal competence to achieve 

the greatest return from airborne and space surveys. 

We have no stated responsibilities for gathering data with respect to 

the earth and oceans, for processing, distributing, or utilizing such data 

except as necessary to measure our success or failure in our R&D endeavors. 

Receiving, processing, correlating, evaluating, developing, and distributing 

useful information from data gathered from the air and space logically are 

functions of agencies of government other than NASA. 

It is important that NASA personnel understand the limits of our 

mission and that their publications and pub1~c. statements reflect this 

understanding. It is also important that our actions and statements show 

full consideration for the sensibilities of sovereign states, agencies of 

our own government, commercial interests, and individual citizens. 

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To facilitate pursuit of R&D programs in the Earth Resources Survey 

area, and as a means of avoiding or at least minimizing the likelihood of 

offending sensibilities at home and abroad, Mr. Webb has asked this office 

to exercise leadership in establishing a review procedure whereby each 

project in ERS is examined prior to its initiation and before any public 

disclosures are made. Each proposed project will be reviewed by persons 

representing appropriate disciplines and by those knowledgeable of 

sensibilities of the various agencies that will likely become substantially 

involved or affected by the project during its R&D phase and subsequently. 

It is important that this review procedure not be construed or allowed 

to become an unnecessary constraint on initiative or effective management 

of on-going projects. It should be recognized as a necessary precautionary 

measure designed both to avoid foreseeable pitfalls and to obtain needed 

cooperation and support from individuals and from operational agencies of 

government for endeavors that could be of great importance to the U. S. 

Procedures for preparing and submitting publications, public statements, 

and proposed projects for review will be published shortly. 

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