Warning On Military Uses Of Outer Space

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29998, 6 December 1962, Page 27

Warning On Military Uses Of Outer Space

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

NEW YORK, Dec. 4.

Australia told the United Nations today not to “blink at” the military implications of outer space activities.

Sir Jaimes Plimsolil said during a debate on the use of outer space that most human endeavours had military implications. If a satellite could record data for peaceful purposes, it could do the same thing for military purposes.

Progress for disarmament in outer space would depend on progress in disarmament in general, though partial measures, such as the ending of nuclear testing in that environment, could be taken, Sir James Plimsoll said.

He was speaking in the United Nations matin Political Committee.

Britain presented a draft declaration of basic principles for space exploration in an effort to break a six-month-old East-West deadlock. The British draft was tabled as a counter to a Soviet draft declaration first presented in Geneva last June, but unacceptable to the Western Powers.

Briitain’s draft is confined to four principles:— Outer space and celestial bodies are free for exploration in conformity with iniemationail laiw.

Outer space and celestial bodies are not capable of

appropriation or exclusive use by any State. Space exploration shall be bound by initemaitiona'l law and the provisions of the United Nations Chartier and other international agreements that might be applicable. All States shall have equal rights in the exploration of space.

The main stumbling block in the Soviet declaration has been a paragraph that declares the oodtection of intelligence information by satellite incompatible with the objectives of mankind in the conquest of space.