Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

[28] 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
It is concluded that it is technically feasible, within the present state of the art of rocket
and electronic technology, to establish a commercial 24-hour communication satellite
using the Scout rocket vehicle. It is recommended that NASA encourage such a program
and recognize it as an important new application of the Scout. This program can be
accomplished by the Hughes Aircraft Company within a year at a cost of 5 million dollars.
Document I-6
Document title: “Memorandum for Conference on Communications Satellite
Development,” December 7, 1960.
Source: NASA Historical Reference Collection, History Office, NASA Headquarters,
Washington, D.C.
In the closing months of the Eisenhower administration, NASA Administrator T. Keith Glennan and
his associates paid much attention to the appropriate relationship between government and the private
sector in the development of communications satellites. AT&T’s active interest in trying to establish
a leading position in this new technology stimulated Glennan and his colleagues to focus on this
issue. This memorandum, with no credited author, but almost certainly prepared by Robert Nunn,
Glennan’s special assistant for communications satellites, summarizes the situation as of December
1960.
[1]
EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN 39
Memorandum for Conference on
Communications Satellite Development
December 7, 1960
1. Basic Mutual Recognition
a. AT&T uniquely has the greatest and most obvious private business interest in
satellites because of its overseas telephone business.
b. Other companies have expressed varying degrees of interest in and shown
varying degrees of initiative with respect to participation in the development
of elements of a communication satellite system, although none has given evidence
of desiring to spend company funds in substantial amounts as has
AT&T.
c. NASA alone has the statutory responsibility to the nation for developing
space technology and facilitating its civil application to communications.
d. It follows that all these respective interests must be harmonized on a common
ground.
[handwritten notes in margin: “1) May - June 1961 - firm up our coop. utilization of A’s,”
“2) Obtain assurance of A-participation in comm.,” and “3) NASA must preserve bid n
(and) competition.”]
2. Common Ground
a. Neither AT&T nor NASA should pre-empt the other’s central area of responsibility
and competence.