460 



the lack of aggressiveness in certain programs and creativity in cer- 

 tain programs. But almost every single job NASA has done, every 

 major project they have attempted, they have completed successfully^ 

 They are projects that never have been done before, and from original 

 conception to completion on things that never have been done before by 

 man this is an indication, I thinlv, that NASA has done the very thing 

 that you see as one of the things that must be done in oceanography — 

 from the original conception of the idea to completion of the objective. 



I do want to compliment you and your agency for having done this 

 more so than any other agency in the government of this country and 

 government of the world. 



While we have had failures I think many of us who have beeji 

 critical on occasions have been constructively critical and in that way 

 tried to be helpful. At the same time we do recognize that your suc- 

 cess ratio has been fantastic and unparalleled in the history of our 

 Government. 



Mr. Pelly. Would you agree with me that perhaps one of the most 

 remarkable achievements in the development of NASA has been the 

 gradual change of its relationship from military to civilian programs 

 and its interface with military objectives? I don't think we would ever 

 have had the Space Treaty for the Peaceful Use of Space had it not 

 been for the existence of NASA. I think this is one of the really great 

 achievements of the whole program. 



Mr. Karth. I agree with you. 



Dr. Seamans. I wonder if I might add a comment for clarification. 



In the case of meteorology we made a decision, and this was very 

 much on the late Dr. Dryden's mind, I k)iow, and that is the extent 

 to which we in NASA should get involved in meteorological research 

 as such. We had to provide the tools for it. We followed a policy which 

 tied right back to Dr. Dryden's views that we would not try to build 

 up in NASA a comprehensive capability for the scientific effort in- 

 volved in meteorological study but this should be the responsibility of 

 the Weather Bureau in the Department of Commerce. 



We had to have enough people in NASA familiar with this field 

 so that we could communicate back and forth, but we were not going 

 to try to fold into the NASA organization a total meteorological 

 competence. 



The same is true with regard to oceanography. It would be a mis- 

 take for NASA to try to develop complete expertise in all of the many 

 sciences which relate to oceanographic work. Rather we should rely 

 on those who already have this competence for the scientific work and 

 we should make the tools available, as they make sense to make them 

 available, in aircraft and in space, and to just have enough competence 

 in NASA that we can be intelligent in the way we carry out our ex- 

 permiental work for the user. 



Mr. Karth. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Edwards. Dr. Seamans, you ought to get a copy of the record 

 and retain the words that have been said about you today. This com- 

 mittee usually doesn't say such nice things about every witness that 

 comes before it. 



