Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN 87
ment on April 25, 1961 to the 1958 Space Act which, among other things, made the Vice
President Chairman of the Council. On July 24, 1961, President Kennedy issued a new
communication satellite policy prepared by the Council. It is the current basic policy in
the field and will be found on pages 45 and 46 of . . . “Communication Satellites:
Technical, Economic and International Developments.”* It confirmed the policy of ownership
and operations to be in private hands and Government responsibility to encourage
research developments, provide launching facilities and exercise regulatory functions
including the obligation to “examine with other countries the most constructive role for
the United Nations, including the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) in
international space communications. Foreign participation in the system would be provided
“through ownership or otherwise.” The Space Council has the responsibility for policy
coordination and for making recommendations to the President concerning actions
needed “to achieve full and prompt compliance with the policy.”
The TCC Space Communication Subcommittee had, in April, formulated an initial
draft statement of policy and on June 1, 1961, this was circulated on an Official Use Only
basis to the TCC Members noting that, because related studies were being conducted in
other areas of the Executive Branch, the Department did not propose further consideration
of the matter at the time. It is, however, desirable to summarize its conclusions:
[page 3] 1. The development of communication satellites should be a national objective
and immediate action was required.
2. It should be accomplished by joint efforts of Government and private enterprise.
3. The new system should supplement, not replace, existing systems.
4. It should be privately owned and Government regulated.
5. Existing and future common carriers should have non-discriminatory access to
the system.
6. Other nations should participate in the civil system.
7. The civil system should meet all Government needs normally provided by privately
owned communication systems.
8. They should not be subject to special space law.
9. The International Telecommunication Union should serve as the principal international
organization in this field.
10. Interim installation of key message centers is desirable pending establishment of
direct circuits.
11. The possibility of global TV and radio relay via communication satellites should
be emphasized.
Also on June 5, 1961 the FCC met with the commercial communications carriers in
furtherance of its Docket 14024 regarding the form of ownership which might be appropriate
to an international communication satellite system. An Ad Hoc Committee was
formed which reported in October . . . in favor of a joint venture non-profit corporation
with ownership limited to the carriers, access by all carriers needing the service, and participation
by foreign carriers “by ownership or otherwise” as provided in the President’s
policy of July 24.
On January 11, 1962 Senator Robert Kerr, Chairman of the Senate Space Committee,
introduced a bill, S.2650 . . . in the Senate providing for private ownership and leaving to
the FCC (which had stated its preference for ownership limited to the carriers) the
approval of the owners.
[page 4] Considerable opposition had been expressed by the Department of Justice and
* It may be of interest to note that this document was prepared under the direction of Mr. MacQuivery
of TD who was detailed from the Department to the Senate Space Committee [rest of the sentence is illegible].