December 7, 1973 Subject : Weather Satellites: Coalescence The
DECLASSIFIED A/ISS/IPS, Department of State E.O. 12958, as amended December 18, 2008
DEPARTMENT OF STATE Washington, D.C. 20520
December 7, 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR MAJOR GENERAL BRENT SCOWCROFT THE WHITE HOUSE
Su bj e c t :
Weather Satellites: Coalescence
The Under Secretaries Committee report of November 29 on the proposed coalescence of NOAA/NASA and DOD polar-orbiting satellites enclosed a joint NOAA/NASA statement regarding their preferences among the options covered the report and comments from the OMB staff. The views of the Department of State on this subject are covered below. The Department of State recommends that coalescence tak e one of two forms corresponding to options A and B of the USC report: use of common components in separateNASandDOpolr-bitg/weah NAO.The satellite but only to the extent that- there remains clear separation in
characteristics and operations of these
two syste m s; or B. A singleunder systemcivilian of polamangement, r-orbiting weatoperher satellites ation,
management,
and control.
State recommends against coalescence involving a single system under either military or shared military arid i.e., options C and D in USC report. EIther of these options could lead to potentially unacceptable risks
to our international interests.
DECLASSIFIED A/ISS/IPS, Department of State E.O. 12958, as amended December 18, 2008
U.S. legislation and policies in space and weather satellite activities have placed primary responsibility in civilian agencies except that, as provided in the 1958 Space Act, "activities peculiar to or primarily associated withorthe development ofare weapons systems, military operations, the defense of the U.S." to be the responsibility of the DOD. A Bureau of the Budget Circular (A-62 of November 13, 1963) setting forth guide-' lines for the planning and conduct of U.S. meteorological services, directed that the Department of Commerce, the maximum extent practica1ble and permitted by law, will provide those basic meteorological services and supporting research needed to meet the requirements of other agencies." Specifically excluded frQm these guidelines were meteoro logical activities involving special military sedurity considerations The practice and science of meteorology are inherently international endeavors, atmosphere is weather satellite programs have provided the outstanding demonstraifu-edntospacfr peaceful purposes, in cooperation with others, for the benefit of all. Substantial progress is being made in international meteorological programs which include the use of weather satellites to acquire data for operational. and research purposes. State believes that because of these factors, and in the light of U.S. space and meteorological policies, there would be a special sensitivity internationally to a real or apparent increase in military control in the services now provided, or planned to be provided, by the civil program of polar-orbiting weather satellites. Possible adverse reactions by other nations are discussed in the NSC Under Secretaries Committee's report on coalescence. Option A corresponds to a continuation of the 'present separate management of two, distinct systems, except that monetary savings would be sought through the use of appropriate common components. Adverse international reactions
would not be expected as long as this ; is viewed by other nations as representing little change in the current arrangement. However, there is a possibility that the use of common com p onents could be carried ton far. If the civilian
DECLASSIFIED A/ISS/IPS, Department of State E.O. 12958, as amended December 18, 2008
and military systems become nearly indistinguishable due, for example, to common spacecraft instruments, orbit heights, and communications systems, then suspicionsmight be raised that the civil system was a "front" for military purposes. Thus if option A is chosen, we recommend that the use of common components not be carried to the point where there is no longer a clear separation in characteristics and operations of the two systems. Option B involves coalescence to a single system, so that it would be expected that cost savings could be maximized. While this option would represent an important change from the current separate civil and military systems, State believes that there would not be significant adverse international reactions since this approach, with civil management, Would cor r espond to long-established Iegislation and policies in space and weather satellite activities. Since the DOD has now declassified its system of polarorbiting weather satellites and has supplied. data from their instruments to other domestic and foreign users of meteorological infor m ation, and since the similar NOAA/NASA system involves or could involve the use of instruments of comparable characteristics and capabilities, it follows that the DOD system a nd it s da ta are not "peculiar to or primarily associated with" military requirements'. Thus, under option B, Commerce (and hence NOAA) could provide, as directed, "those basic meteorological services and sup porting research needed to meet the requirements of other agencies including the DOD. The subsequent use of meteorological data and services would be determined by each of the user agencies. NOAA and NASA could plan future systems and instruments to satisfy to the maximum extent feasible , the special and new requirements of all of the user agencies. (It would be expected generally that there would be in the civil system provision for denying data .to fore i gn use r s in case of national emergency.)
[TshigonmeadsfRor.]Pickerng Executive Secretary
DEPARTMENT OF STATE Washington, D.C. 20520
December 7, 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR MAJOR GENERAL BRENT SCOWCROFT THE WHITE HOUSE
Su bj e c t :
Weather Satellites: Coalescence
The Under Secretaries Committee report of November 29 on the proposed coalescence of NOAA/NASA and DOD polar-orbiting satellites enclosed a joint NOAA/NASA statement regarding their preferences among the options covered the report and comments from the OMB staff. The views of the Department of State on this subject are covered below. The Department of State recommends that coalescence tak e one of two forms corresponding to options A and B of the USC report: use of common components in separateNASandDOpolr-bitg/weah NAO.The satellite but only to the extent that- there remains clear separation in
characteristics and operations of these
two syste m s; or B. A singleunder systemcivilian of polamangement, r-orbiting weatoperher satellites ation,
management,
and control.
State recommends against coalescence involving a single system under either military or shared military arid i.e., options C and D in USC report. EIther of these options could lead to potentially unacceptable risks
to our international interests.
DECLASSIFIED A/ISS/IPS, Department of State E.O. 12958, as amended December 18, 2008
U.S. legislation and policies in space and weather satellite activities have placed primary responsibility in civilian agencies except that, as provided in the 1958 Space Act, "activities peculiar to or primarily associated withorthe development ofare weapons systems, military operations, the defense of the U.S." to be the responsibility of the DOD. A Bureau of the Budget Circular (A-62 of November 13, 1963) setting forth guide-' lines for the planning and conduct of U.S. meteorological services, directed that the Department of Commerce, the maximum extent practica1ble and permitted by law, will provide those basic meteorological services and supporting research needed to meet the requirements of other agencies." Specifically excluded frQm these guidelines were meteoro logical activities involving special military sedurity considerations The practice and science of meteorology are inherently international endeavors, atmosphere is weather satellite programs have provided the outstanding demonstraifu-edntospacfr peaceful purposes, in cooperation with others, for the benefit of all. Substantial progress is being made in international meteorological programs which include the use of weather satellites to acquire data for operational. and research purposes. State believes that because of these factors, and in the light of U.S. space and meteorological policies, there would be a special sensitivity internationally to a real or apparent increase in military control in the services now provided, or planned to be provided, by the civil program of polar-orbiting weather satellites. Possible adverse reactions by other nations are discussed in the NSC Under Secretaries Committee's report on coalescence. Option A corresponds to a continuation of the 'present separate management of two, distinct systems, except that monetary savings would be sought through the use of appropriate common components. Adverse international reactions
would not be expected as long as this ; is viewed by other nations as representing little change in the current arrangement. However, there is a possibility that the use of common com p onents could be carried ton far. If the civilian
DECLASSIFIED A/ISS/IPS, Department of State E.O. 12958, as amended December 18, 2008
and military systems become nearly indistinguishable due, for example, to common spacecraft instruments, orbit heights, and communications systems, then suspicionsmight be raised that the civil system was a "front" for military purposes. Thus if option A is chosen, we recommend that the use of common components not be carried to the point where there is no longer a clear separation in characteristics and operations of the two systems. Option B involves coalescence to a single system, so that it would be expected that cost savings could be maximized. While this option would represent an important change from the current separate civil and military systems, State believes that there would not be significant adverse international reactions since this approach, with civil management, Would cor r espond to long-established Iegislation and policies in space and weather satellite activities. Since the DOD has now declassified its system of polarorbiting weather satellites and has supplied. data from their instruments to other domestic and foreign users of meteorological infor m ation, and since the similar NOAA/NASA system involves or could involve the use of instruments of comparable characteristics and capabilities, it follows that the DOD system a nd it s da ta are not "peculiar to or primarily associated with" military requirements'. Thus, under option B, Commerce (and hence NOAA) could provide, as directed, "those basic meteorological services and sup porting research needed to meet the requirements of other agencies including the DOD. The subsequent use of meteorological data and services would be determined by each of the user agencies. NOAA and NASA could plan future systems and instruments to satisfy to the maximum extent feasible , the special and new requirements of all of the user agencies. (It would be expected generally that there would be in the civil system provision for denying data .to fore i gn use r s in case of national emergency.)
[TshigonmeadsfRor.]Pickerng Executive Secretary
