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25 January 1962

POLICY GUIDANCE FOR CONGRESSIONAL WITNESSES

RE: SAMOS PROJECT

The sensitivity and political vulnerability of the U. S. satel-

. lite reconnaissance effort, as embodied in the SAMOS project,

dictates the utmost in discretion and application of rigorous

need-to-know procedures at all echelons. To this end, and

in anticipation of the many essential appearances of witnesses

before various Congressional committees, the following information and guidance is provided.

I. BACKGROUND:

A. Over the past few years, this project, either as WS-117L

or SAMOS, has been reported upon and discussed from many points

of view before many committees of both Houses of Congress and

by witnesses at practically every level of the Department of

Defense. From the above, it can be reasonably assumed that:

1. A majority of both houses of Congress are basically

familiar with the intent and function of the SAMOS satellite

development.
Project details and capabilities are not generally known.

The Congress in. general, and the important coax

mittees specifically, are very much aware of the national

significance and urgency in achievement, at the earliest possible date, of a satellite reconnaissance capability, and of

the necessity for very tight security concerning the details

of this effort.

II. GUIDANCE:

A. General.

SANDS project information will not normally be

included in prepared statements or briefings. The Chairmen

and the senior minority member of appropriate Committees will

be briefed individually and their cooperation requested in

minimizing or eliminating Committee discussion of this subject.

SANS project will not be discussed in open

session, notwithstanding the amount of previous years' information in the public domain or press speculation. Reply under

these circumstances will simply state that:

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t•Or,oes.; a. 3

The subject, is classified and query cannot

be answered in open session, and/or

The SAMOS project is outside the cognizance

of the witness.

3. When in closed session, if possible within the

context of material being submitted or previous discussion,

witness should state that the project is handled through special

procedures and outside normal channels;

B. Specific. In those instances where witnesses in closed.

session (Secret level) are unable to avoid discussion or answer

to query regarding SAMOS, replies to specific questions will be

couched within the framework of the following information, using

the minimum reply acceptable to the Committee and refraining

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from any voluntary elaboration.

There is in existence no specific SAMOS system or

program which is intended or planned to be a complete , means of

conducting reconnaissance via space. Public conjectures and

speculations concerning occasional flights of space vehicles

are based on misinterpretation of the role of such flights.

It is generally recognized that there are very broad

areas of development in reconnaissance techniques and equipments, and

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development of space technology, which it is in our interest

to explore adequately. These broad areas are pursued over a

wide spectrum of experiments, which are conducted from time

to time, and which have been popularly considered to be SAMOS

missions. These flights are, in fact, experimental demonstrations of components and techniques which are being developed

under the broad program we are conducting in further development of reconnaissance and space technology concepts. Such

experiments are needed to furnish final verification of component developments; these component developments need to be tested

in the actual space environment as final proof of their technical adequacy. Because the number of such experiments is large,

in order to properly pursue the many desirable developments and

techniques, the number of flights which suit be conducted is also

Large. Typical component developments which will be involved are

equipments to gather information, methods of providing power in

space for extended. periods of time, development of vehicle

attitude control systems for extended duration in orbit, reliable

in-flight remote control of payload, etc.; typical techniques

which will be involved are such as relate to precision de.orbiting

and recovery of space capsules, methods for efficiently program&

• ming equipments in orbit, methods for developing highly reliable

long-duration subsystems of space vehicles, etc.
TOTAL

3. These developments are of very general usefulness

and importance to our national space program as a whole, and

to the future development of reconnaissance equipments of many

sorts. Further decisions beyond the scope of the present broad

experimental effort are dependent upon results of these current

developments.

The visual (photo) development has included electronic readout payloads and recoverable payloads. Electro-magnetic

(ferret) payloads are being developed on a progressively more

advanced basis from initial research and development feasibility

version to advanced digital and analogue techniques.

Reconnaissance flight schedules are especially

sensitive and very closely held in order to minimize the chance

of inadvertent compromise which could result in effective Soviet

countermeasures.

6. Funding:

FY 1962 FY 1963

*While th

has been taken to avoid any public acknowledgment of the FY 63

funding, and th