Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN 41
d. NASA’s approach includes competitive hardware acquisition for at least two
Thor-based flights at Government expense and competitive launchings
(including satellite, vehicle and launch costs) at [4] private or Government
expense using at least two Atlas-based vehicles.
1. The key to this approach is “competition” because it is the only way in
which NASA can assure the Congress that its approach is not preferential.
2. Competition may also result in a better system.
5. Special Problems
a. Reimbursement depends upon a ruling by the Comptroller General. If favorable,
then NASA can develop a relationship with industry which is not dependent
upon the budget-authorization-appropriation cycle. If not favorable,
then NASA would have to seek legislation to authorize it to credit such reimbursements
to its own appropriations.
b. Patents depend upon the application of the present law, unless NASA is successful
in getting its statute amended. This means that AT&T’s case for waiver
under the present law is one way the ownership of inventions might be
determined and the application of the law to a “cooperative agreement” is a
less preferred way of determining ownership. NASA intends to seek a legislative
amendment of its statute in the same terms as were proposed to the last
Congress.
c. Follow-on R&D and prototype launchings must be planned since it is hardly
likely that a four-shot program will be adequate to develop an operational
prototype satellite and an operational system. Back-up vehicles should be
available for repetitive shots within three months of any failure.
d. Participation by AT&T in all satellite communications experiments under
NASA programs in a manner similar to that employed in the Echo program
seems desirable from the standpoint of all concerned.
[ 5] e. Publicity by AT&T should avoid “predictions” involving launchings and avoid
the impression that AT&T can “go it alone” in the R&D phase. There should
be closer cooperation between [public information] offices in AT&T and
NASA so that AT&T releases are available to NASA in a timely manner.
Document I-7
Document title: White House Press Secretary, “Statement by the President,” December
30, 1960.
Source: NASA Historical Reference Collection, NASA History Office, NASA
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Shortly before he left office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a number of policy statements in
an attempt to set the future agenda on various issues, including communications satellite policy. In
a statement released to the press on December 30, 1960, Eisenhower reiterated his position that private
industry should establish and operate communications satellite systems.