PRIVATE SECTOR OPERATION OF CIVIL METSAT PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92B00181R000400390057-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 6, 2013
• Sequence Number: 57
• Publication Date: May 4, 1981
• Content Type: MEMO

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DCl/ICS 81-2043
4 May 1981
MEMORANDUM FOR: John E. Koehler
Director, Intelligence Community Staff
FROM:
Deputy Director, Program Assessment Office
SUBJECT: Private Sector Operation of Civil METSAT Program
1. As you requested in the 1 May IC Staff Meeting, I made a few
calls to find out more abouttPie
subject issue.
is the OMB action officer.
iew of the situation is as
follows:
? Subject stimulated by a contractor request to modify the current
policy to include METSAT as well as LANDSAT.
? OMB is considering this in connection with the NASA spring
preview. This will be one of a number of policy issues being
considered for study as part of the budget review in the fall.
? PRC-Space has not (yet) been reconstituted. Therefore, the
nature and extent of interagency participation has not been
determined.
? Proposal is philosophically consistent with Administration's
inclination to reduce government role.
?
Resources to conduct studies are tight. OMB would prefer to
avoid this study if there is high likelihood that there will be
vigorous national security objections to modification of current
policy. When asked if we would indeed raise such objections, I
said that we had not examined this issue recently and, al though
there were some concerns, we did not have a current position.
This document may be downgraded
to CONFIDENTIAL upon removal of
attachment.
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SUBJECT: Private Sector Operation of Civil METSAT Program
Distribution: DCl/ICS
Orig-D/ICS
1-A-DD/ICS
1-D/PAO
1-D/PTO
1-D/PBO
1-A-D/PGS
1-D/CLLS
1-DD/PAO
1-PAO Subject
1-PAO Chrono
1-ICS Registry
81-2043
DCl/ICS/PAO
05/04/81)
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Cr.) WASHINGTON
presidential
November 16, 1979
Directive/NSC -54
TO:
The Secretary
The. Secretary
The Secretary
The Secretary
The Secretary
The Secretary
The Secretary
The Director,
The Assistant
and Policy
The Administrator,
of. State
of:Defense-
of-Interior
Of Agriculture
of Commerce
of Transportation
of Energy
Office of Management and Budget
to -the- President for Domestic Affairs
Agency for .International Development
:The Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
The Chairman, -Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director of Central Intelligence
The Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
The Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
The Director, Office of Science and Technology
Policy
The:Director, National Science Foundation
SUBJECT: Civil Operational Remote Sensing (U)
The President has approved the civil space policy discussed
below. The policy amplifies that established in PD/NSC-37 --
National Space Policy and PD/NSC-42 -- Civil and Further National
Space Policy.- (U)
1. OVERALL DIRECTION. The United States' interests in remote
sensing from soace will be served by a three part structure:
(1) Separate classified activities that have no civil counterparts
(2) Joint or coordinated civil/military activities where both
objectives can be satisfied without compromising national policy.
(3) Integration of civil operational activities under single
civil agency management with coordination and regulation by an
interagency board. Joint management and overall system convergence
will not be pursued between classified space activitieS necessary
for intelligence and unclassified civil space remote sensing.
(S)
2. LAND PROGRAMS. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NO) of the Department of Commerce is assigned the management
responsibility for civil operational land remote sensing activities
SECRET
Review on
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Initially,- the operatikrEal land remote sensing -stemfrom space
will be based on LANDSAT technology. Commerce's initial responsibility
-- in coordination with other appropriate agencies -- will be to
develop a time-phased transition plan covering: (1) a Program
Board (discussed below); (2) organization for management and
.regulation; (3)system financing including pricing policies, for
the users sharing of costs; (4) technical programs; (5) establishment
of. private and international participation; (Er) identification of.
facilities (including the EROS data. center), hardware, and personnel
that should be transferred; and (7) identification of actions such
as executive orders and legislation required. Commerce will
submit to OMB a preliminary implementation plan by December 15,
1979, covering any required FY 1961 budget adjustments and a final
transition plan by June 1, 1980. (U).
a. Federal Management Mechanism. Commerce will establish
and chair a.Program Board for continuing federal. coordination and
regulation with representatives from the involved federal organizations
(e.g., DefenseTInterior,. Agriculture, Transportation, Energy,
State, NASA, AID, EPA and EOP). Organizations such as the
National Governors' Association and National Conference of State
Legislatures will be asked to participate as necessary. The Board
will forward recommendations on unresolved policy issues to the
Policy Review Committee (Space) for consideration and action. (P)
b. Private Sector Involvement. Our goal is the eventual
operation by the private sector of our civil land remote sensing
activities. Commerce will budget for further work in FY 1981 to
seek ways to enhance private sector opportunities (e.g., joint
venture with industry, a quasi-government corporation, leasing,
etc). Commerce will be the contact for private industry on this
matter and with the Program Board will analyze any proposals
received prior to submitting policy issues to the Policy Review
Committee (Space) for consideration and action. (U)
c. International Participation. The United States will
generally support non-discriminatory direct readout to foreign
ground stations to continue our present policy and to provide data
to foreign users under-specified conditions. Pricing policies
must be developed that are consistent for foreign and domestic
users. We. will promote development of complementary nationally
operated satellite systems so as to limit US program costs, but
protect against unwarranted technology transfer. (.U)
3. WEATHER PROGRAMS. Defense and Commerce will maintain and
coordinate dual polar orbiting meteorological programs. We will
continue procurement of current satellite systems with Defense and
Commerce each operating separate satellites to meet the differing
needs of the military and civil sectors. When any new polar
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orbiting satellites are justified they will be jointly developed
and procured by Defense, Co=erce and NASA to maximize technology-
sharing and to minimize cost. An appropriate coordination mechanism
will be established to assure effective ?cooperation and to Prevent
duplication. (U)
4. OCEAN PROGRAMS'. If a 'decision is 'mad to develop oceanographic.
satellites, joint Defense/Con-cmerce/NASA development, acquisition
and management will, be pursued.. . A Committee?will be established,
with. the above representation expanded to include State, and
NSF. The Committee will forward recommendations on policy issues
to the Policy Review Committee (Space) for consideration and
action. (U)
nigniew Brzezinski
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