REVIEW OF SKYLAB PHOTOGRAPHIC FLIGHT PLANS FOR UTILIZATION OF EARTH TERRAIN CAMERA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP76B00734R000100280006-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2007
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: March 13, 1973
• Content Type: MF

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
NRO review(s) completed.
NASA Review Completed.
MEMORANDUM FOR: William J. Porter
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
SUBJECT: Review of SKYLAB Photographic Flight Plans for
Utilization of Earth Terrain Camera
I have reviewed the draft paper you sent to me on 22 February and
agree in general with a recommendation to the 40 Committee that the flight
plans proposed by NASA be approved, subject to review by the 40 Committee
immediately prior to launch and screening of acquired photography prior to
public release. I do think, however, that we should also begin a study
now to establish some guidelines which can be followed in this screening
process and to determine alternative ways of handling the acquired
photography with a view toward minimizing the risk of unfavorable inter-
national reaction. In addition, I think it would be timely to begin a
more general review of what US policy should be with regard to the
photographing of sovereign states. I realize that an inter-agency group
working under the charter of NSSM 72 is currently considering this
question, but I think this issue is important enough and has enough inter-
action with our reconnaissance programs to warrant a special group
specifically chartered and structured for this task.
Therefore, I propose the following be added to the recommendation
on page 2 of the draft:
"To reduce the risk associated with public release of
the high quality Earth Terrain Camera pictures and to
provide guidance for the post-flight screening to make
it consistent with and supportive of long range national
policy on remote sensing, two studies should be initiated
under the auspices of the NSC:
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State Dept. review completed
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1. A review of US policy on remote sensing of other
sovereign states to reflect (a) current knowledge about
the value of photography for resource and economic use and
(b) recent views on US economic interests abroad.
2. A study of alternative procedures for publicizing,
handling and disseminating the Skylab photographs with a
view to minimizing the risk of unfavorable international
reaction to the release of these pictures."
I have attached revisions of pages 6-8 which would make the body of
the draft consistent with this addition to the recommendation.
Attachments:
As Stated
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Substitutions for Pages 6, 7, 8 of State Department Draft
legal as well as the technical issues raised by remote sensing by satellite,
thirty-eight nations and two international agencies have participated in the
ERTS-1 research program. Many others, including the Soviet Union, have
pressed forward to obtain ERTS-1 imagery. There has been no sharp criticism
of the operational details of the flight of ERTS-1, and there have been no
"outraged" protests either against any of the ERTS-1 imagery or against the
release of this imagery to the general international public. Indeed, there
has been ready and in some instances enthusiastic acceptance of these
arrangements in the context of this experimental program.
Recognizing the Research and Development nature of this first remote
sensing effort, the international community has shown a willingness to over-
look for the time being some of the political, legal, and economic problem
areas which have been of intense concern to a number of states. We believe
the experimental character of SKYLAB has also been recognized and will secure
a similar moratorium on the difficult problems. But the heightened sensitivity
to the inherent issues of sovereignty, proprietary rights, control, etc.,
that arise in the dissemination of earth resources sensing data which appeared
during the recent sessions of the UN Working Group on Remote Sensing in New
York suggests that the international community may not be willing to extend
its acceptance of experimental activities into the operational phases of
remote sensing. This international concern about remote sensing and the
particular issues which it raises will have to be dealt with before long.
While then need not interfere with NASA's plans for SKYLAB experiments,
actions should be taken now to study what our national policies should be
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in this regard and how the photography acquired by SKYLAB should be
disseminated.
The photography that will be acquired by the high resolution Earth
Terrain Camera on board SKYLAB is appreciably better than the imagery
produced by ERTS-1, and the improvement in the quality of the photography
may be sufficiently dramatic as to arouse some international reaction.
To reduce the risk of this happening, steps have been taken to inform the
space and scientific communities of other nations of our plans to fly
the Earth Terrain Camera on board SKYLAB, so the utilization of this
equipment should come as no surprise to the specialists. Additional
actions will be taken prior to launch, particularly in relation to the
policy level officials of foreign governments, to publicize our intentions
and thus minimize any public reactions engendered by surprise.
Moreover, the time-sequencing of the photographic flight plans are
safeguards to allow an assessment of international reaction based on
photos taken over North America and a modification of subsequent plans if
necessary. The photography to be acquired during the first manned mission
is almost entirely of the US, Canada, and Mexico. The first coverage of
any of the "sensitive areas" will not occur until Mission 2, beginning
in August.
Finally, once the photographic flight plans for SKYLAB are approved,
the photography program is still subject to two further reviews: a final
assessment of the international political factors immediately prior to
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launch and a post-launch screening of whatever photography is acquired
before it is released to the public. Thus photography that may become
sensitive in the months ahead (whether because of the developing inter-
national scene or because of the "sensational" nature of the particular
imagery acquired) can be handled in a way appropriate to the situation.
However, to prepare ourselves for the various contingencies that may be
encountered, and to provide guidance to those who will do post-launch
"screening", we propose that a study be started now to define alternative
ways of handling the SKYLAB photos in the event that future international
events make it desirable to withhold substantial portions from public
release.
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