40 COMMITTEE MATTER: APOLLO 17 EARTH PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINGENCY PLAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00514R000200190002-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 19, 2008
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: November 27, 1972
• Content Type: MF

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NRO review(s)
completed.
27 NOV 197Z
NSC REVIEW
BYE-6467-72
COMPLETED.
Copy
NASA Review Completed.
SUBJECT: 40 Committee Matter:
Apollo 17 Earth Photography Contingency Plan
REFERENCE: Memorandum from James C. Fletcher to Henry A. Kissinger,
subject: Apollo 17 Earth Orbital Contingency Mission,
dated 17 November 1972
1. By the reference memorandum (attached) NASA seeks 40 Committee
approval for a contingency photographic mission plan for Apollo 17 in the
unlikely event that when launched on 6 December it achieves earth orbit
but cannot continue to the moon. Previous contingency plans approved by
the 40 Committee for Apollo 16 and earlier missions stipulated that
photographic activity would emphasize US and Western Hemisphere coverage,
that no Sino-Soviet coverage would be acquired, and that COMIREX would
review the photography prior to any public release or dissemination. The
current proposal would extend the coverage to include China, USSR,
Central Australia, Spain, Ethiopia and Africa. For reasons stated below,
we recommend that you authorize us to convey your non-concurrence in this
proposal to change previous guidelines for the Apollo contingency plan.
Dr. Proctor concurs with this recommendation.
2. We recommend against this proposal because we believe it would
set a precedence for the Skylab operations next year during which
relatively high resolution photographs - perhaps as good as 10 meters -
will be taken. It is currently NASA's hope to follow a policy in Skylab
of taking pictures on a worldwide basis without prior consent of other
countries and making those photographs available for public consumption.
The State Department gives every indication of going along with this plan
in the interest of promoting an "open skies" environment. We are con-
cerned that as the, image quality of open systems improves, the risk will
increase that some country will object to public release of photographs
which it considers impinge on its sovereign interests. If this happens,
it seems possible that the resulting controversy might jeopardize the
viability of our reconnaissance satellites. Therefore we believe that
before the 40 Committee approves Skylab operations it will want to set in
motion a policy review to determine whether this risk is acceptable. We
think you should oppose ad hoc actions, such as the proposed change in
Apollo 17 planning, which might prejudice the outcome of such a review.
1(S
0YEMAN ``.
CLASSIFIED BY BYEMAN-1
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3. In sum our recommendations are:
a. You not approve the proposed change in Apollo 17
planning;
b. You recommend a general policy review of photographic
plans for the Skylab operation.
CARL E. DUCKETT
Deputy Director
for
Science and Technology
Approval of recommendations (a) and (b) in paragraph 3 above.
NOV 1972
Richard Helms Date
Director
,t t ei7'd
I System
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