Space Co-operation Details Awaited

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30212, 17 August 1963, Page 13

Space Co-operation Details Awaited

(N ZJ’jS -Renter— Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 16. A Government announcement on United States-Soviet space co-operation is being prepared today amid speculation that it might deal with a major joint venture by the two nations.

The announcement may concern a joiret project for an Echo space balloon to bounce messages between the United States and the Soviet Union. The National Aeronautic? and Space Administration announced on Monday that it had awarded a contract for three more Echo space communications balloons. The announcement—coming on the third anniversary of the first orbiting of an Echo balloon—said one of the new Echo balloons would be launched from the Pacific missile range this winter. A N.A.S.A. spokesman declined to comment on the re ports or to give details of tomorrow's announcement. He said only that it would detail functions of an earlier agree men< between the Deputy Administrator of the NA S A.. Dr. Hugh Dryden, and the bead of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Mr A. L Blagonarov.

It was reported from the United Nations that the United States and the Soviet Union are expected to open new negotiations shortly on

a legal cede for outer space There has been optimism that the recent Nuclear Test-ban Treaty will be followed by agreement on the deadlocked issue of spy satellites A United States spokesman said the United States had submitted a new paper to Moscow aimed at breaking through the impasse which developed between the two major space Powers at last spring's session of the United Nations Outer Space Committee's legal sub-group. Informed United Nations sources in New York said the American and Soviet delegations may hold further private consultation# before the next plenary session of the Outer Space Committee, which will open on September 9. The legal sub-committee may end its meetings without agreement The Soviet Union had insisted on acceptance of four basic principles, which would include a ban on the use of space for war propaganda and on the collection of intelligence data from space vehicles. The sources indicated that the question of spying from space remained the main point at issue.