Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXV, Organization of Foreign Policy; Information Policy; United Nations; Scientific Matters

390. Paper Prepared in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration¹

Washington, April 21, 1962.

STATUS OF US/USSR BILATERAL SPACE TALKS

1. Dr. Dryden and Professor Blagonravov, with small technical and political staffs, met in New York on March 27th, 28th and 30th.

2. It was agreed that the talks would be preliminary and exploratory and that formal negotiations would begin either at the time of the COSPAR meeting in Washington April 30th to May 9th or at the time of the meetings of the technical and legal subcommittees of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space in Geneva beginning May 28th. A letter has since gone from Dr. Dryden to Professor Blagonravov through the U. S. Embassy in Moscow requesting an early indication of the Soviet choice of these two alternatives.

3. The New York talks were very relaxed in character with an almost total absence of cold war atmosphere. The exceptions were as follows:

(a) At one point Blagonravov stated that he had been requested to state the desirability of a joint pledge by US and USSR scientists to reserve space for peaceful purposes and prohibit “spy-in-the-sky” satellites. Dr. Dryden stated that this subject fell outside the scope of the discussions. At the conclusion of the talks, an issue arose as to whether a joint press release should cite the subjects which it was agreed would be developed first. Blagonravov objected unless all subjects discussed, including the spy-in-the-sky matter, were included. It was agreed that no subjects would be specified, and the press release indicated that current and future discussions would follow the items developed in the Kennedy-Khrushchev correspondence.

(b) Blagonravov repeated the line that more far-reaching cooperation would be contingent upon agreement on disarmament.

In both of the above cases, Blagonravov was very relaxed and almost apologetic.

4. With regard to the content of the discussions, Blagonravov indicated:

(a) The USSR will very likely launch meteorological satellites and is willing to coordinate their orbits and exchange the data much as suggested in the President’s letter.

(b) While prepared to carry out experimental communications with the U.S. by means of a passive reflector satellite (ECHO or an ECHO follow-on), the USSR is not ready to discuss general cooperation in satellite communications yet.

(c) The USSR is ready to cooperate in a coordinated survey of the earth’s magnetic field by satellites in complementary orbits.

(d) While not prepared to exchange tracking stations, the USSR would be willing to exchange tracking and telemetry services, even to the extent of providing equipment to U. S. specifications.

(e) Other subject areas were discussed in general terms, nothing being excluded, although there was some indication of unwillingness to exchange laboratory visits at this time. With regard to disturbances and contamination in space, Blagonravov’s objective seemed to be simply that experiments with such potential would be brought to the notice of the interested countries in order to avoid interference with their experiments.

5. The US side prepared three short papers expanding upon the President’s proposals in the meteorological, magnetic survey, and telemetry exchange fields. These were presented to Blagonravov for consideration for more detailed negotiations at the next meeting. Blagonravov hoped that similar papers might be prepared by Soviet scientists for the same purpose. Dr. Dryden’s letter, mentioned above, asks that such papers be made available as soon as possible. (The US side is preparing additional papers on the remaining subjects.)

6. With regard to future procedure, at the request of Dr. Dryden, Blagonravov indicated a strong preference for agreement on individual projects if agreement can be reached rather than deferral of agreement until a total package can be achieved. To the extent that this position is maintained, it should minimize roadblocks in the form of political conditions.²

1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM No. 129, U.S.-USSR Space Cooperation, Box 334. No classification marking. An attached routing slip from Arnold W. Frutkin of NASA to Bromley Smith, also dated April 21, reads: “Attached is brief status report you requested. It was not possible to get into my safe for Dr. Dryden’s own summary. I will provide this Sunday or Monday a.m. to supplement the attached.”
2. A handwritten note at the bottom of the page reads: “A summary of the 3 U.S.-USSR meetings is attached.” The attached summary is not printed. For text of the “Record of the US–USSR Talks on Space Cooperation,” see Exploring the Unknown, Volume II: External Relationships, pp. 153–162.