Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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General Assembly’s First Committee during the week of October 30, 1972.
i. Ghana: (Boaten) commended the Food and Agricultural Organization in cooperation
with NASA for applying space technology to problems of desert locusts and food
in Africa, Asia and Latin America in the same meeting.
j. The All-African Seminar held in Addis Ababa in August 1971 made a recommendation
on the inventorying of natural resources reading in part as follows:
“Recommends:
– that a complete inventory of natural resources, such as water, soils, vegetation,
wild life, be undertaken everywhere in Africa, and that particular attention be
given to this recommendation at both national and regional levels;
– that the most modern techniques be used to achieve this aim, such as remote
sensing through satellites; in particular noting that the two earth resources technology
satellites will be launched in 1972 and 1973.”
[hand-signed: “AWF”]
Arnold W. Frutkin
Document II-24
Document title: James V. Zimmerman for Arnold W. Frutkin, Assistant Administrator for
International Affairs, to Dr. John V.N. Granger, Acting Director, Bureau of International
Scientific and Technological Affairs, Department of State, September 12, 1974, with
attached: “Foreign Policy Issues Regarding Earth Resource Surveying by Satellite: A Report
of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Science and Foreign Affairs,” July 24, 1974.
Source: NASA Historical Reference Collection, NASA History Office, NASA
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Potential benefits to developing nations had been a key component in the NASA campaign to obtain
the Nixon administration’s approval for an Earth resources survey system satellite. However, a number
of nations objected to having little control over the dissemination of satellite information gathered
about their country. NASA proceeded with ERTS without a formal international regime, basing its
position on a broad interpretation of the previously established “open skies” doctrine. The Advisory
Committee on Science and Foreign Affairs of the Secretary of State suggested in its July 1974 report
that additional U.S. action was required to avoid conflicts, particularly at the United Nations, over
U.S. remote-sensing activities. NASA’s response argued that the space agency had anticipated and was
effectively addressing any foreign policy repercussions of the ERTS program.
[no pagination]
REPLY TO
ATTN OF I/PP SEP 12 1974
Dr. John V.N. Granger
Acting Director
Bureau of International Scientific
and Technological Affairs
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE