Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presrdentral Library
Cf*Glt"Ht THE WHITE HOUSE
4fr
d,
WASHINGTON
March 5, l97A
,i
ACT ION Staternent on the Future of the Space Prograrn
fit#l
MEMORANDUM FOR TI-IE PRESIDENT
]
Attached for your approval is a staternent regarding the future of the U. S" Space Prograrn. You state the need for cornprehensive planning, new goals that rnake sense for the Seventies, and the realization that spale expenditures rnust take their proper place arnong national priorities. You note that three generaL purposes should guide our space prograrrl exploration, scientific knowledge, and practical_applicatior:.
You also state that our space prograrrl should work toward the following specific objectives :
continue to explore the Moon rnove ahead with exploration of the planets and the u work to reduce the cost of the space operations seek to extend rnanrs capability to live and work in space expand the practical applications of space technology encourage greater international cooperation in space You avoid any rnention of eventual costs because they are not known as yet, and Peter Flanigan feels the decisions should be rnade over the corlrse of the decade.
Messrs. HarLow, N{oynihan, Flanigan and Tirnrnons have reviewed the staternent and suggested only rninor changes. RECOMMENDATICN
That you approve
the_
Space Staternent (Tab A)
t,/
V\^O Approve
for release this Saturdav. Disapprove
o),Y),v
H
JO
EHRLICHMAN
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Staternent on the Futur
the U.
S.
Over the last decade, the prigci
aI of our nationrs space that decade r:ren fro:n our
program has been the planet had traveled to
walked on its surface.
of
ce Progr
occasions and twice they had se unf orgettable experience
s
r
we
have gained a new perspe cti-v{on o'urselves and our wor1d.
I believe these accornplishn:.ents should help us gain a new perspective on our space program as well . Having cornpleted that long
stride into the f'uture which has been our objective for the past decade, we rnust now define new goals which rnake sense for the Seventies.
1Ve
rnust build on the successes of the past, always reaching out for new
achievernents. But we rnust also recognize that rnany criti.ca1 problerns here on this planet rnake high priority derrrands on our attention and our reso'urces. By no rneans should we allow our space prograrn to
stagnate. Brrt -- qrith the entire future and the entire universe before 'us
-- we should not try to do everything at once. Our approach
to
space trr'ust contin'ue to be bo1.d -- but i"t rn'ust also be balanced. When this Adrninistration carne into
office, ther,: were no c1ear,
cor:rprehensive plans {or o'ur space prograrn after the first Apollo
landing. To help rerrredy this situation, I established in February 1969 a Space Task Group, headed by the
Vice President, to study
of
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library
)
possibilities for bhe future of that prograrn.
Their report was
presented to rrre in September. After reviewing Lhat reporb and
considering our national priorities,
I have reached a number of
conclusiotrs concerning the future pace and direcLion of lhe nation's space efforts. Lhe Congress
The budgeb recornmendalions w-hich I ha.,"e sent
for Fiscal Year
L97
Lo
I are based on these conclusions.
Three General Furposes In rny judgroenb, bhree general purposes should guide our space p
rog r aiTr.
One purpose is exploration.
Frorrr tirne irlmernorial,
rran has
insisLed on venluring into the unknown despite his inability to predict
precisely the value of any given exploration. He has been willing to take risks, willing lo be surprised, willing to adapt
bo nerv
experiences.
Man has corr:te to feel Lhat such quests are worthwhj"le in and of them-
selves -- for they represenL one way in which he expands his vision and expresses bhe hurnan spirit.
A greal naLion rnust always be an
exploring nation if it wishes lo rernain greaL. A second purpose of our space prograrn is scienbific knowledg. -a greaLer sysLematic undersLanding about ourselves and our universe.
With each of our space venLures, tnan's lobal inforrnalion
abouL
nature has been drarnaLically expanded; the hurnan race was able
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3
bo
learn rrrore aboul the Moon and \4ars in a few hours last
surnrner than had been learned in all bhe centuries ihat had gone before,, The people who perforrn lhis irnportant rvork are nol
only those whc walk in spacesuits while rrrillions r.vatch or those who launch powerful rockels in a burst of flarne" Much of our
scientific progress cornes in laboraLories and offices, r.vhere dedicaled, inquiring rxen and women decipher new facts and add thern to old ones in ways which reveal nerv truLhs. The abilities
of these scientists constitute one of our irrost valuable naLional resources. I believe thab our space prograffI should help these people in Lheir work and should be attenlive bo bheir suggestions.
A third purpose of the UniLed SLaLes space effort is ihab of pracLical applicati.on -- burning the lessons we learn i.n space Lhe
bo
early benefil of life on Earth. Examples of such lessons
are n-ranifold; they range frorn new medical insights to ne$. rnethods of communication, frorn better weather forecasts lo new rnanagernent techniques and new ways of providing energy. Bub these lessons will noL apply thernselves; we m-ust rnake
a
concerled efforl bo see that Lhe resulLs of our space research are used to the maxirrrum advanLage of the hurnan cornrnunity.
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A Continuing Process trVe
rnusb see our space effort, Lhen, not only as an advenbure
of Loday bub also as an invesLrnent in Lornorrow. We dj.d not go Lo the Moon rnerely for bhe sport of ib. To be sure, those underLakings have provided an exciting adventure for all n-rankind and we are
proud that it
\&,as
our nation
LhaL
rnet ihis challenge. BuL the mosL
imporLant thing about rnanrs firsl footsbeps on the Moon is
r.vhaL Lhey
prornise for bhe future. We musb realize lhat space acLivities will be a part of our lives
for Lhe rest oI tirne. We must think of thern as part of a continuing process -- one which will go on day in and day oul, year in and year oub -- and nob as a series of separate ieaps, each requiring a rnassive
concenbration of energy and will and accomplished on a crash time-
Lable. Our space progranl should not be planned in a rigid rnanner, decade by decade, but on a continuing flexible basis, one u,hich takes
into account our changing needs and our expanding knowledge. We rnusb also realize tlnat space expendiLures lTrusL take their
proper place within a rigorous system of naLional prioribies,
What
we do in space frorn here on in rnusb becorne a norrnal and regular parL of our naLional life and irrust bherefore be planned in conjuncLion
with all of ihe other underLakings w-hich are also important to us" The space budgeL which I har.e sent to Congress for Fiscal Year 1971
I{eproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Libran-
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is lorn,er than the budget for Fiscal Year )970, a condition w-hich reflects
Lhe
fiscal constrainbs under rx.hich we presently operale and
Lhe compebing dernands
of other progralTrs. I arn confidenL, however,
that the funding I have proposed will allow our space program to make s
!eady and irnp re s s ive p rog re s s . Six Specific Objectives
With these gene ra1 conside rations in rnind, I have concluded that our space prograrn should work toward
Lhe
follor,ving specif ic
objectives:
t.
We should conbinue to
"@
Fulure Apollo
rnanned lunar landings rvi1l be spaced so as to rnaxirnize our scientific
reLurn from each rrrission, always providing, of course, for the safety
of those lvho undertake bhese r.entures. Our decisions abouL rnanned and unmanned lunar voyages beyond the Apo11o prograrn will be based
on the results of bhese rnissions.
Z. We should rnove ahead w-ith bold exploration of
bhe planets
and bhe universe" In bhe next few years, scientific satelliles of rnany Lypes will be launched inbo Earth orbiE Lo bring us new inforrnation
about bhe universe, bhe solar sysbem, and even our own planet, During Lhe next decade, we
will also launch unrnanned spacecraft lo all lhe
planets of our solar sysberr, including an unrnanned vehicle u,hich will
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be sent tr:land on \,{ars and to investigate its surface" In the late 1$?0s, the I'Grand Tourr!n:issions will study the rnysterious outer
planets of the solar svstern -- Jupiter, Saturn, lJranus, I'{eptune, and
Pluto. The positions of the planets at that ti:me will give us a unique opportunity to launch rnissions which can visit several o{ thern on
a
single flight of over three billion rniles, Preparatiotrs for this prograrrr will begin tn L972"
There is one rnaji:r but Io:nger -range goal we should keep in rnind as we proceed r.r,ith our exploration of the planets" As a part of this progralra we will eventually send rnen to explore the planet Mars"
3. We should wcirk to reduce substantially the
coQt
of
spg"ce
operations. Our present rocket technology will provide a reliable launch capability for sorne tirne" But as we build for lhe longer-range
future. we rnust der.ise less costly
and less cornplicated w'ays of
transporting payloads into space, Such a capability -- designed
so
that it will be suitable for a wide range of scientific, defense and corfrrnercial uses -- Car help us reaLize important econ.omies in all aspects of our space progranr, We are currently exarnining in greater
detail the Ieasibility of re-usable space shuttles as one way of achier.* ing this objective
"
4. We should seek to extend rnanrs capability to live and work in space. The Experirnental
Space Station (XSS)
-- alarge r:rbiting
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\/orkshop *-
\^,i11
be an irnportant part of this
effort,
Vfe are norv
building such a station -- using systerns originally developed for the Apol1o prograrn
--
and plan to begin using
it for operatiorral rnissions
in the next few, years. We expect that rnen will be working in
for rrronths at a time during the coming
space
decade.
We have rnuch to learn about what rnan can and cannot do in
space,
On the basis of our experience with the XSS, we
when and how to develop longer-Iived space staLj.ons.
will
decide
Flexible, long*
lived space station rnodules could provide a rnulti-purpose
space
platforrn fr:r the longer-range future and ultirnately becorne a building block for rnanned interplanetary travel,
5. V/e should hasten q.rld expaqd the practical applications of space techno-logy, The developrnent of earth resources satellite s
--
platforrns which can help in such varied tasks as surveying crops, locating rnj.neral deposits and rneasuring water resollrces -- u,ill. enable us to assess our environrnent and use our resources rnore effectively, We should continue to pursue other applications of space-related
technology Ln a w'ide variety of fields, including rneteorology, corrrrllll*
nications, navigation, air traffic control, education and national defense. The very act of reaching into space can help rnan irnprol'e the quality
of life on Earth.
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6.
lMe should encourage greaLer internabional cooperaLion in
space. In rny address Lo bhe United Nabions LasL Septernber, l indicated that the United States will take positive, concreLe sbepsrrloward internationalizing man's epic venture into space -- an advenbure ihat belongs not
Lo one naLi.on bub
to aII rnankind.'r I believe thab both the advenlures
and the applicalions of space rnissions should be shared by a1l peoples.
Our progress u.ill be fasber and our accornplishrnents rvill be greater
if nations
w'i11
join together in lhis effort,
boLh
in contributing the
resources and in enjoying the benefits. Unrnanned scientific payloads frorn oLher nations already rrake use of our space launch capability on a cost-shared basis; we look forward
bo bhe day when bhese
arrangernents
can be exlended to larger applications sabellibes and astronaut crew,s" The Administrator of NASA recently rnet
wiih Lhe space auLhorities
of Western Europe, canada, Japan and Australia in an efforb to f ind ways in which we can cooperate rnore effecLively in space.
It is irnportanb, I believe, that Lhe space program of the United sLates rneeL these six objectives.
A program which achieves these
goals will be a balanced space prograrn, one u,hich will extend our
capabiliiies and knowledge and one which will put our new iearning to work for the irnrnediate benefib of all people"
-!
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As we enLer a new decade, we are conscious of Lhe facb bhab rrran is also entering anew hisboric era.
For lhe first bime, he has
reached beyond his planet; for the rest of bime, we will think of
ourselves as rnen from the planeL EarLh. It is rny hope thaL as we go forward w'ith our space program, we can plan and work in a way which rnakes us proud both of the planei from which
of our ability to travel beyond
I
iL.
r.r,.e
corrre and