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13 July 1965 

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD 

SUBJECT: MOL "Posture" Paper 

Today I was called by Dr. Albert Hall, DDR&E who wanted 

to discuss actions resulting from a Space Council Meeting of 9 July. 

At that meeting, Mr. McNamara had presented the MOL program 

for the consideration of Dr. Seaborg (AEC), Mr. Webb (NASA), 

Mr. Rusk (State), and Admiral Raborn (CIA). State raised 

questions about the international "image. " NASA requested a 

firm policy position prior to announcing MOL as an approved program. Mr. McNamara agreed and suggested that the DOD prepare 

a "Posture" Paper, saying he believed it could be ready in about 

30 days! When State suggested the "Thompson Committee" as a 

mechanism for producing the paper, Mr. McNamara quietly rejected 

the offer. 

Dr. Hall received this action item from Dr. Brown. He asked 

if I would serve on a small committee to prepare the paper. I advised 

him that he was operating deeply in ASD/ISA territory and suggested 

he be sure to contact Colonel Marshall Sanders on this matter. I 

would, of course, be glad to assist, as necessary. 

Dr. Hall spoke to Colonel Sanders late this afternoon and 

enlisted his "support!' I reminded Sanders that everything in the 

2454 area is assigned by the Secretary of Defense to ASD/ISA. 

By the end of the day, Lt Colonel Quiggins had prepared the 

attached preliminary notes for a "Posture" Paper. 

PAU k WORTHMAN 

Colonel, USAF 
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NATIONAL POLICY -- MOL 

1. The United States should continue to maintain the security of the 

National Reconnaissance Program by controlling knowledge that 

certain satellite reconnaissance derived technology (sensor equipment, 

etc.) is to be utilized by the MOL. 

2. The United States should not attempt to develop/launch the MOL as 

a completely covert endeavor. Its mission includes unclassified functions, 

which may be discussed publicly -- as well as classified functions which 

cannot be described: 

a. Acknowledge and describe unclassified functions/missions. 

b. Acknowledge inclusion of classified functions/mission -- but do 

not describe. 

3. It may well be desirable to acknowledge, low key, inclusion of a 

reconnaissance/observation function aboard MOL as an obvious -- but 

secondary -- mission: 

a. To reduce impact of subsequent intentional or inadvertent 

disclosure that MOL is conducting intelligence quality photography of 

the territory of other nations. 

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b. To serve as an initial sampling of public (world) opinion/reaction 

concerning advisability of future public release of MOL photography. 

4. The United States should not acquiesce to any prohibition against 

free and unrestricted passage of its MOL satellites about the globe or 

against the performance of any mission or function, including reconnaissance, which does not pose any threat or harmful effect to any other 

nation. 

5. The United States should, at an appropriate time, reaffirm its 

intention of refraining from placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit 

by publicly announcing that MOL does not include such plans. 

6.. Pursuant to UNGA Resolution 1721, all MOL launchings should be 

included on the U. S. portion of the U. N. registry of satellite launchings 

(identified as "scientific"). 

7. Considering the unpredictable world reaction to public disclosure 

of MOL sensor products, all such products should be rigidly controlled 

after exposure and during processing, and subjected to careful review, 

prior to any consideration of unclassified disclosure, in order to assess 

impact of such disclosure in light of current world events. 

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8. Considering the unusually complex security arrangements affecting 

the NRP/MOL interface -- in addition to other agencies involved, the 

Department of Defense will be a point of mandatory coordination on all 

press or other public releases concerning the MOL. 

9. It shall be the policy of the United States to promote, within the 

bounds of security, the free exchange of scientific data resulting from 

MOL experiments. 

10. Since MOL is a multi-manned endeavor, consideration should be 

given to soliciting from other nations both personnel and/or experiments 

which might contribute to further exploration and knowledge of outer space. 

11. The United States shall take action to exclude from MOL functions 

any experiments which might directly contaminate or indirectly bring 

about a radical or undesirable change in the existing environment of 

outer space. 

12. Mission oriented communications design and operation will respect 

existing international agreements on allocation of communications 

frequencies.