Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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ment—considering the budgetary process—are also highly uncertain at this time.
Therefore, I would suggest that no changes be made to present plans for operation of
Landsat C and D. As operational data use develops in the next few years, this climate may
change and a broader-based demand for Landsat-type data may emerge. The option for
private sector operation of the Landsat system should be reassessed at that time.
Christopher C. Kraft, Jr.
HD/JFMitchell:nmm2/27/76:3751
OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE
Document II-30
cc:
BD/E. B. Stewart
HB/O. Smistad
HC/R. A. Hoke
Document title: Bruno Augenstein, Willis H. Shapley, and Eugene B. Skolnikoff, “Earth
Information From Space by Remote Sensing,” report prepared for Dr. Frank Press,
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, June 2, 1978, pp. ii–iv, 1–14.
Source: NASA Historical Reference Collection, NASA History Office, NASA
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
When this report came out in June 1978, the United States had been engaged in an “experimental”
Earth resources observation program since 1966. Although by 1978 the program’s ultimate viability
was still not clear, most involved felt it was time to make a policy decision regarding whether or not
the program should be canceled, declared operational, or maintained on an experimental basis until
further results made a choice more obvious. Among the issues facing decision makers was deciding
which government agency should take the lead, if indeed an operational system was desired. This
report from the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office of the President examines
the issues at hand and recommends NASA as the appropriate lead agency. The three authors of
the report were consultants to Presidential Science Advisor Frank Press. Bruno Augenstein was a
RAND Corporation scientist with early involvement in Earth observation systems. Willis Shapley was
a long-time top staff official at the Bureau of the Budget and NASA. Eugene Skolnikoff was a political
science professor who specialized in science, technology, and foreign policy issues at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Included here are the executive summary and first two chapters
of their report.
Earth Information From Space by Remote Sensing
by
Bruno Augenstein
Willis H. Shapley
Eugene B. Skolnikoff
June 2, 1978 . . .
[ii] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The aim of the consultants in this report has been to develop policy recommenda-