Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

another country which so requests to restrict joint research to those applications the
results of which they are willing to publish. Thus NASA and other agencies would continue
the policy of full disclosures of both primary and secondary data in which the [U.S. government]
is involved, but we would respect the right of another country to obtain the
primary data tape or read the satellite directly if for our own purposes we energize it over
their territory, and make what use of the data they will.
U.S. policy must therefore focus on the distinction between primary data, and information
available after processing. Policy should be directed to obtaining international
acceptance of freedom of acquisition and freedom of dissemination of primary data tapes
if the potential benefits [4] of this technology are to be realized. The strategy for advancing
these goals should be based on recognition that ERS should not be prematurely
described as “operational” and in no event unless and until international acceptance of its
potential benefits is obtained.
[5] Introduction
For more than a decade international acceptance of “Open Skies”—the right of any
country to examine the earth from outer space without prior restraint—has been a cornerstone
of U.S. space policy and should be continued. A number of factors reinforce the
importance of retaining this freedom:
(a) SALT agreements force increasing reliance on national technical means of
verification.
(b) Growing interest in the possibility that Earth Resources Satellites (ERS) might
provide economic benefits in the future makes the continued viability of Open Skies of
special interest. Since foreign customers for satellite data analysis must find the initial
acquisition of data acceptable, either Open Skies policy must be maintained or else agreements
or same form of internationalization of the space segment may be required.
(c) Many new space technologies will have to call for some observations from space.
Restriction on open observations will create barriers to effective operation.
“Open Skies” is the preferred alternative, since it is necessary to sustain the legitimacy
of remote sensing for national security purposes. In addition, it provides the minimum
impediment to the development of ERS as a potential economic asset.
[6] While ERTS-1 has been accepted under the Open Skies principle, there is no international
political commitment to Open Skies in the context of “operational” systems.
However, as advocates of ERS become more vocal with the view that “operational” systems
are economically viable, there is increased advocacy in the U.N. of restrictions on the
acquisition and dissemination of ERS data and in the [U.S. government] on the possible
value of restrictions on ERS data in order to capture more of the economic benefits.
The policy question requiring resolution is: What posture toward acquisition and dissemination
of ERS data is optimal today in the light of the present state of evolution of
ERS experience?
The answer depends substantially on an evaluation of that state of evolution and an
analysis of the requirement to bring the ERS program to economic viability.
Experience with ERTS-1
EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN 265
A little over one year of experience with ERTS-1, plus some data from manned space
flight programs and considerable commercial experience with airborne photography,
have established both politically and commercially motivated interest in civil applications
of remote sensing. From a technical point of view, the capability for image acquisition is
well advanced and the potential for improvement established by very expensive national