Multilateralism, Earth Resources, Life Sciences

Secretary of State Dean Rusk had already anticipated these criticisms in 1966, when he distributed a paper to the Space Council, pondering post-Apollo objec­tives and concerns in a climate of detente. Therein he identified a “Twofold International Objective” for the 1970s. Rusk first urged that the United States take action to “de-fuse” the space race between America and the Soviet Union. Doing so would not simply eliminate the hypothetical waste implicit in compe­tition, but it would also thwart the sense of exclusivity and alienation imparted upon nonparticipants (i. e., Europe and the developing world). Second, he advised that for both the “technically unsophisticated as well as industrially advanced countries, the role of active participant offers a better route to awareness and understanding—and responsible conduct—than the role of passive beneficiary.”30 For Rusk, collaboration in space was never to take the form of “foreign aid.”

White House officials harbored high hopes for remote sensing in particular, predicting that it would

do more to establish the theme of using space as a resource for mankind. Earth resources surveying satellites, which we are now developing, should be of special help in this regard and open new routes to cooperation. By emphasizing such activities, we can not only help bridge the “have” versus “have not” gap but also begin the transition away from a race deeper and deeper into space toward a more (but not exclusively) earth-oriented program.31

In order to meet this objective the paper suggested educating and enlisting Western Europe and the developing world in space exploration. This alone would bridge the “technology gap” that loomed between the so-called space powers and others. The report continued, explaining that it was the United States’ responsi­bility to enlighten budding or potential space powers: “It is even more difficult for technically unsophisticated countries to grasp the meaning of changes now in train. Yet their reactions will be important if the international adjustment to these changes is to be responsive to our own interests. Accordingly, we will need to use our programs still more effectively to broaden the base of cooperation.”32 The point bears repeating: “Broadening the base of cooperation” not only provided additional data to networks or instruments to satellites to satisfy the demands of globally oriented programs. For some, multilateral partnerships were viewed as a method to sway international sentiment, aiming to yield coalitions more respon­sive to superpower interests and build institutions of space research and develop­ment that exhibited values complementary to those of NASA.