637 



astronauts of our two countries — indeed, of all the world — cannot work together 

 in the conquest of space, sending some day in this decade to the moon not the 

 representatives of a single nation but the representatives of all of our countries."* 



Nothing came of this dramatic attempt to exploit space technology for 

 diplomatic gain. 



COMMUXICATIOXS SATELLITES 



Many proposals have been advanced for ways to use Earth satel- 

 lites for practical purposes, as distinguished from research. These 

 proposals fall generally into three categories of satellite use : as point 

 sources or relay ])oints for global comnumications systems; as stations 

 to exploit the properties of the space environment ; and to perform 

 surveys from a truly global vantage point. 



One of the earliest and most significant practical uses of satellites 

 was for global communications. The commercial practicality of satel- 

 lites for this purpose was accelerated by the development of syn- 

 chronous satellites, which moved through space at the precise rate 

 required for them to remain fixed above a pre-selected point on Earth's 

 Equator. From this position, a satellite had many advantages for 

 global communications : to relay voice communications from point to 

 point, to distribute television programs from one continent to another, 

 to broadcast programs directlj^, and to provide information for air 

 traffic control. Other satellite functions — not necessarily requiring syn- 

 chronous satellites — include the providing of position data and com- 

 munications for aerial navigation, air transport separation standard 

 management, position determination, collision avoidance, and search 

 and rescue information. 



A legislative action to provide an administrative instrument for 

 the management of commercial space communications was the Com- 

 munications Satellite Act of 1962, approved August 31, 1962, Public 

 Law 87-624 (76 Stat. 419) . 



Subsequently, an agreement was entered into, August 20, 1964, for 

 international cooperation of the parties in the design, development, 

 construction, establishment, maintenance and operation of the space 

 segment of a global commercial communications satellite system, which 

 had as its objective the achievement of basic global coverage in the 

 latter part of 1967. The concept was that this agreement would be an 

 interim arrangement and that recommendations would be forthcom- 

 ing after the system became operational, for either (a) continuance 

 of the interim program on a permanent basis or (b) a permanent in- 

 ternational organization supported by an international administra- 

 tive and technical staff. 



FEASIBLE FUNCTIONS OF SURVEILLANCE SATELLITES 



A\nii]e synchronous satellites appear to be the principal foundation 

 element of global communications technology, satellites in uniform 

 circular orbit closer to Earth seem most useful for many possible sur- 

 veillance functions. Apart from their obvious advantages in arms in- 

 spections and military operations, surveillance satellites are already 

 useful for many commercial services and give promise of still greater 



*9U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. "Documents on Disarmament, 1963." 

 (Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1964), page 529. 



