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

395. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (McGhee) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)¹

Washington, December 7, 1962.

SUBJECT

• Bilateral Cooperation with the USSR in Outer Space Activities

As you know the Secretary General of the United Nations was informed today in a joint memorandum from Ambassadors Stevenson and Zorin of the agreement which has been reached between the Soviets and ourselves to cooperate in three outer space projects (the Dryden-Blagonravov proposals). That memorandum appended copies of the technical agreement reached between Dryden and Blagonravov at Geneva in early June (Tab B), copies of the correspondence exchanged in October between Mr. Webb and M. V. Keldysh, President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (Tabs C and D), copies of the notes exchanged between our embassy in Moscow and the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August and October (Tabs E and F).²

I understand that yesterday afternoon Deputy Assistant Secretary Gardner spoke to you by phone to point out that the release of this correspondence—particularly Webb’s letter to Keldysh of October 30—would have the effect of committing the United States to proceed directly with the implementation of these proposals, and that you agreed to the release on that understanding.

Accordingly Dr. Dryden proposes to send to Blagonravov a letter (Tab A) suggesting that they proceed now with the steps called for in their technical agreement. We find the letter entirely satisfactory and see no reason why it should not be sent. I am suggesting to Dr. Dryden that he do so on Friday or early next week.³

George C. McGhee

1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM 129, U.S.-USSR Space Cooperation, Box 334. Official Use Only.
2. For the June 8 agreement, see footnote 3, Document 392. The correspondence and notes are printed in Department of State Bulletin, December 24, 1962, pp. 963–965.
3. The letter at Tab A, not printed, is dated December 5. On December 10 Bundy replied that Dryden’s letter appeared “entirely satisfactory,” and he agreed that Dryden should proceed with the next steps of the technical agreement. Charles E. Johnson of the NSC Staff indicated his agreement in a separate memorandum of the same date. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM 129, U.S.-USSR Space Cooperation, Box 334) The final text of the letter is dated December 11. (Ibid.)