417. Position Paper Prepared in the Bureau of International
Organization Affairs1
AN INITIATIVE ON OUTER SPACE AT THE 16th SESSION OF THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The attached plan for United Nations Consideration of Outer Space matters
outlines a number of initiatives which the United States has the
opportunity to take in this field at the Sixteenth Session of the
General Assembly. These would represent an important step in
implementation of the position the President has taken with respect to
international cooperation in outer space and in connection with
meteorological and communications satellite systems.
In his January 30th message, the President stated “this Administration
intends to explore promptly all possible areas of cooperation [Page 941] with the Soviet Union and
other nations ‘to invoke the wonders of science instead of its
terrors’”.2 He then extended an invitation to all nations to join
with the United States in developing a weather prediction program and a
new communications satellite program. Later, in his statement on
communications satellite policy, he again invited “all nations to
participate in a communications satellite system, in the interest of
world peace and closer brotherhood among peoples throughout the
world.”3
The attached plan, in brief, calls for the United States to: a) outline
to the General Assembly our efforts in the development of communications
and meteorological satellites and our plans for international
cooperation in their use, and b) present a set of proposals relating to
the establishment of a regime of peace and law in Outer Space.
United States proposals relating to peace and law in outer space will
serve to strengthen the role of the United Nations in this new field and
will represent an effort to curb extension of the harmful consequences
of the cold war to the dimension of space. These proposals, together
with United States initiatives with regard to cooperative sharing in the
field of communications and weather satellites, will contrast strongly
with the approach the Soviets have adopted in outer space thus far and
will help build legitimacy for outer space activities which the United
States wishes to undertake. It is important, for example, to set the
stage now for general acceptance of the world-wide communications system
which the United States will want to establish by the middle of the
present decade and to elicit essential foreign cooperation in regard to
allocation of frequencies, establishment of ground terminals, financial
support, rate-making, etc.
By taking the initiative in the sharing of its achievements in these
areas, the United States can demonstrate that it has the vision and
generosity to match its technical accomplishments.
The principal cautionary consideration in developing such an initiatives
plan is that the United States should not overcommit itself. In this
interest various modifications have been made to an earlier draft of the
proposal in an effort to bring it in line with present and estimated
future capabilities in these fields.
[Page 942]
Attachment
PLAN FOR UNITED NATIONS CONSIDERATION OF OUTER SPACE
MATTERS
During the 16th session of the General Assembly the United States
would set forth its view of the importance of the role of the United
Nations in outer space, would outline United States plans and
efforts regarding projects of direct interest to all nations, and
would present a set of proposals relating to outer space.
A. Advocacy of a Regime of Peace
and Law in Outer Space.
The United States would make clear that we seek a regime of peace and
law in outer space and the development of practices, principles and
agreements on which such a regime can rest. In this connection, the
United States would make the following points:
- 1)
- Outer space begins at least as close to the surface of the
earth as the region in which satellites may be maintained in
orbit.
- 2)
- International law, and, in particular, the Purposes and
Principles of the United Nations Charter, have application
to outer space and celestial bodies.
- 3)
- Outer space and celestial bodies are available for
exploration and use by all States, in conformity with the
principles of international law, and are not subject to
national appropriation by claim of sovereignty or
otherwise.
- 4)
- The benefits of the peaceful exploration and use of outer
space should accrue to all mankind. To this end,
international cooperation in Outer Space should be
maximized.
- 5)
- As a first step to keep the arms race from extending to
outer space, States examining the question of disarmament
should include in their discussions the desirability of the
early establishment of effective measures to ensure that
weapons of mass destruction are not stationed in outer space
or on celestial bodies.
- 6)
- The United Nations has an important role to play in
facilitating and regulating outer space activities.
- 7)
- States launching objects into orbit or sustained space
flight should transmit to the Secretary-General, as early as
practicable, information concerning such launchings together
with data relevant for the purpose of identification of such
objects.
- 8)
- There should be established within the United Nations
Secretariat a small expert group which would:
- a)
- Register all objects launched into orbit or
sustained space transit, together with a record of
information relating to such objects and
facilitating their identification;
- b)
- Communicate, upon request, available information
concerning launchings, together with data relevant
for identification, to Members of the United Nations
and of the Specialized Agencies;
- c)
- Serve as a clearing house of the exchange of
scientific, technical and other information relating
to outer space activities;
- d)
- Assist in formulating proposals for the promotion
of international cooperation in outer space
activities;
- e)
- Advise the Secretary-General in matters pertaining
to outer space activities;
- f)
- Perform such other functions of a technical nature
as may be relevant to the international use of outer
space;
- g)
- To these ends, maintain contact with Members of
the United Nations and of the Specialized Agencies
and with governmental and non-governmental
organizations concerned with outer space.
The attached draft resolution (Tab A)4 embodying the points outlined above would be
submitted for General Assembly consideration.
B. Fostering of Other
International Cooperation in Outer Space.
Reemphasizing our view that the exploration and use of space are
ultimately a venture on behalf of the human race as a whole, the
United States should inform the General Assembly that we are
devoting special attention to space activities which are fully
expected to become, over a period of years, of widespread practical
benefit. We would point out that both in the case of meteorological
and communications applications of satellites, we will need not only
to perfect the complex ground and space-borne instruments; we will
also need to develop workable international cooperative
arrangements.
- 1)
- In the field of communications, it should be stated that:
- a)
- The United States views the communications satellite
as a tool for improving communications and thereby
mutual understanding throughout the world. We wish to
see our research efforts lead to the establishment of a
system which will over a period of years achieve global
coverage and maximum linking of the countries of the
world. We wish to see United Nations Members not only
use the system, but also participate in its ownership
and operation if they so desire. We are seeking
practical ways to do this. We have already begun to
enlist the aid of other countries in the experiments we
are now planning, and we shall extend our efforts to
include additional countries as this becomes
practical.
- b)
- Bearing in mind the importance of preventing space
activities from widening the gap between the
technologically advanced nations and other nations, we
hope that the communications satellite can help meet the
needs of developing as well as developed areas. To this
end, [Page 944] the
United States stands ready to support the technical
assistance program of the International
Telecommunication Union and to take other appropriate
measures to give technical and financial assistance to
less developed countries for the development of their
domestic communications facilities so that they can take
advantage of the world-wide system of space
communications.
- c)
- We believe that the United Nations will itself play a
constructive role. As the problems of using this new
tool are identified, the United Nations should deal
effectively with them. A pressing problem which can be
met by an existing specialized agency (the International
Telecommunication Union) is the allocation of radio
frequencies. We believe the ITU conference now tentatively scheduled
for 1963 should in fact be called and that sufficient
progress will have been made by that time to provide the
basis for action which will accommodate the interests of
all nations in ensuring the optimum use of the limited
radio frequencies.
- d)
- In our view special arrangements should be made to
service the communications needs of the United Nations
through this new system. This might be done in many
ways. Communications satellites could provide rapid,
reliable communications for United Nations emergency
operations such as that in the Congo. They could provide
for direct television contact between the United Nations
Secretary General and foreign government leaders;
conferences between heads of government might be
conducted through this medium if the necessity arose. To
generate world-wide understanding of vital issues before
the United Nations, provision should be made for
television and radio relay of United Nations Security
Council and General Assembly sessions and information
programs of the United Nations Department of Public
Affairs. The United States hopes that by the Fall of
1962 one of our experimental satellites will be capable,
for brief periods, of transmitting across the Atlantic
live television reports of debates in the General
Assembly.
- 2)
- In the field of meteorology, The United States would state
that:
- a)
-
Scientific and technological developments in the
atmospheric sciences have been extraordinarily rapid
in recent years, due in large part to applications
of electronic computers, instrumented balloons,
rockets, satellites, and several indirect methods
for probing the atmosphere. Furthermore, advances in
physical theory and computer techniques make it now
possible to study the atmosphere in unprecedented
scope and detail. This progress opens the way for
improvement of the scientific basis of weather
forecasting and for examination of the possibilities
of large scale weather modification. These prospects
hold great promise for both developed and
underdeveloped countries. By making natural [Page 945] phenomena
more predictable, they would foster progress in
industry, agriculture, and health, and open the way
to a rising standard of living around the world.
Much of the progress already achieved has resulted
from international scientific cooperation, and
further progress depends in large measure on the
services of the World Meteorological Organization.
This Specialized Agency of the United Nations has
defined for itself a valuable role which should be
maintained and strengthened.
- b)
- To make best use of existing resources and new
opportunities for progress, the United States advocates
that consideration be given by the United Nations,
through UNESCO and
WMO as appropriate,
to the establishment of an International Atmospheric
Science Program (IASP)
and an International Meteorological Service Program
(IMSP), coordinated
to achieve the following purposes on a systematic
world-wide basis:
- 1)
- To obtain, through IASP, global coverage in atmospheric data
gathering and improved understanding of higher
altitude conditions through the coordinated
international use of rocket firings, indirect
probes, and meteorological satellites in a World
Weather Watch (WWW). By extending the coverage of
existing data-gathering networks, the WWW would encourage a
firmer scientific basis for weather forecasting,
greater knowledge of basic physical forces
affecting climate, and the possibility of
investigations of large-scale climate
modification.
- 2)
- To assist member nations, or groups of
nations, to make effective use of currently
existing meteorological techniques and data by
establishing, under IMSP, Regional Weather Analysis Centers.
Such Regional Centers could be established in
underdeveloped areas through intergovernmental
agreement, in part fostered by WMO’s technical
assistance and communication programs.
- c)
- To facilitate these international programs, the U.S.
is prepared to make available the new opportunities for
significant improvement in data gathering and
transmission techniques achieved by its meteorological
and communications satellites. The U.S. is conducting
research on methods which would permit direct read-out
of satellite cloud photography in any part of the world.
If this is successful, the way will be opened for a
marked increase in the timely availability of useful
data. The U.S. is further planning an international
workshop in which technical experts from 104 weather
services will be able to develop skills for analyzing
cloud cover photographs and other meteorological
satellite observations. In addition, the U.S. envisions
that the facilities of its communications satellite
program, currently in the process of development, could
be made available to improve the timely interchange of
meteorological data on a regular basis.
- d)
- To achieve these ends, the United States recommends
that the General Assembly [Page 946]
- 1)
- Invite the International Council of Scientific
Unions to constitute an appropriate body for
continuing high level scientific advice and
innovation in the field of Atmospheric Sciences in
the form of a Special Committee on the Atmospheric
Sciences.
- 2)
- Invite UNESCO to constitute an Atmospheric
Sciences Commission (ASC) to focus the resources
of governments on the IASP and IMSP and to achieve their
implementation.
- 3)
- Commend the WMO for its effective service activities
in communication and technical assistance and
encourage the continued expansion of these
functions to facilitate the objectives of the
IMSP.
- 3)
- In the field of navigation, the U.S. would state that it is
currently developing a navigational satellite system that will
provide precise and frequent positional information at any point
on the earth’s surface. This system, which utilizes four transit
satellites in polar orbits at 600 nautical miles altitude, has
been successfully tested and is planned to become fully
operational in 1962 or 1963. The U.S. will make available the
specifications for the shipborne navigational equipment which
will enable ships of all nations to share in this advance in
navigational science. The U.S. is currently exploring ways in
which the services of the appropriate Specialized Agencies of
the United Nations might be utilized in extending the benefits
of this system to all members of the United Nations.
Activities of the Outer Space
Committee.
The United States should refer to the foregoing and to the rapidly
accelerating pace of outer space activities. We should note that two
years have elapsed since a committee representing the General
Assembly reviewed outer space matters. We are keenly disappointed
that the Committee established by the General Assembly at its 14th
Session has never met to undertake the work assigned it. We attach
great importance to the United Nations role in outer space matters
and to the constructive work which the Outer Space Committee should
perform. In this regard the United States therefore strongly urges
the activation of the Outer Space Committee, recommends that since
its current members have not yet been able to exercise their
functions as such their terms should be extended for the years
1962–1963, and calls upon all members of this committee to
participate in its work in a spirit of international
cooperation.
