REPORT ON PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN CIVIL SPACE REMOTE SENSING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10M02313R000704000008-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: September 4, 1979
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/22 : CIA-RDP10M02313R000704000008-2
DCI-CT-79-0781 30 August 1979
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy to the DCI for Collection Taskin eA' -?..- 4 SEP 1979
Acting Director, PHOTiNT Tasking Office
SUBJECT: Report on "Private Sector Involvement in
Civil Space Remote Sensing"
1. Action Required: None. This memorandum forwards comments
on the subject report for your information. The subject report and
a parallel ongoing study on integrated-remote sensing systems will be
reviewed together by the PRC (Space) before making any recommendations
on a national remote sensing system. The latter study is of far more
importance to you and, when available, will have specific recommendations.
2. Background: The attached report was prepared by an Inter-
Agency Task Force in response to the stipulation in PD/NSC-42 of
1 October 1978 that "a plan of action will be prepared... on how to
encourage private investment and direct participation in the establish-
ment and operations of civil remote sensing systems". NSA and the
Department of Commerce, as joint chairmen, have canvassed representatives
of private corporations on this matter and have analyzed the resultant
findings for submission to the Policy Review Committee (Space). The
NSC has forwarded you a copy of the report, since it is intended to be
reviewed in conjunction with the study on integrated remote sensing
systems prior to "making any recommendations on a national remote
sensing system".
3. Since the basic objective of the report is to encourage private
sector participation in civil remote sensing systems, the DCI equities
are obviously only peripheral. The highlights of the report's findings
are effectively presented in the two-page summary. If time permits,
recommend your reading the introduction (Pages 1-5), the policy issues
(Pages 12-15), and the philosophy of the recommended plan on Page 28,
and the Recommendations for Early Action on Pages 31-32.
4. The report focuses on earth resources systems of the LANDSAT
type because the only currently significant additional sales market
($14.8 million in FY 1978) is for the derived data products from such
systems. It is worthy of note that representatives of the private
STAT
UNCLASSIFIED
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sector and the participating government agencies agree that "it is too
early to select specific options for conversion of the space and ground
segments of the LANDSAT system to private ownership". It was also
"agreed that the cost, complexity, and security implications of integrated
systems need not be an absolute bar to their private operation but could
discourage it".
5. Another noteworthy recommendation is that some single government
organization be assigned the interface responsibility for further private
sector contacts and for development and implementation of the concept of
increased private sector participation. The three candidates for this
responsibility are NASA, NOAA, or the Department of the Interior, with
the report recommending continuation of the NASA responsibility for
R&D activities in civil remote sensing from space.
6. There are several peripheral points that stem from the report
that you should be aware of. There would probably be some Intelligence
Community applications for an earth resources remote sensing system
operated from space by the civil sector. The report mentions--but in
our view unduly underrates--the proportion of civil sector requirements
that would be satisfied by once-over coverage. The report makes reference
to the point that in an integrated system the military/intelligence
component of encrypted data would be accessible only to classified US
stations. The report indicates that the issue of invasion of privacy by
remote sensing systems from space may be left to disposition by the courts.
While this position may be acceptable as the initial tactic, it seems
only good sense that the Federal Government should be prepared to go
immediately to Congress with recommendations for remedial legislation
in the event that the courts should rule this traditional means of
acquiring earth data from overhead imaging platforms constitutes an
infringement of privacy.
7. Coordination: These comments have been coordinated with the
pertinent elements of RMS, NFAC, and the DoD reconnaissance office.
STAT
Attachment:
As stated
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/22 : CIA-RDP10M02313R000704000008-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/22 : CIA-RDP10M02313R000704000008-2
"Report on 'Private Sector Involvement in Civil Space Remote Sensing"'
DCI, return to PTO/CT (only copy w/attachment return to PTO)
DDCI
ER
D/DCI/CT
DDS&T
NFAC/RES
SAFSS E
RMS/OPPA
RMS/OPA
PTO Chrono
PTO Subject
CT Registry
RM Registry
DCI/CT/PTO/
PTO/CT
STAT
STAT
STAT
(29 August 1979) STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/22 : CIA-RDP10M02313R000704000008-2