Feb 11 1971
From The Space Library
President Nixon signed Seabed Arms Control Treaty in State Dept, ceremony held simultaneously with ceremonies in Moscow and London. He said: "It has been very properly pointed out that the seabed is man's last frontier on earth, and that frontier can either be a source of peril or promise. By the signing of this treaty, we have pledged to seek its promise and to remove its peril." " Treaty was "indication of progress that has been made and continues to be made toward the goal that we Al seek: the control of instruments of mass destruction, so that we can reduce the danger of war." (PD, 2/15/71, 211-2)
Dr. Robert Jastrow, Director of GSFC Institute for Space Studies, was quoted as saying in London that people often forgot intelligence factor in debate over manned versus unmanned space missions. Dr. Jastrow had pointed out that by time unmanned space exploration technology reached level of achievement already exhibited in manned exploration, lunar exploration-or even Martian exploration-might have advanced to stage of extended expeditions or space station. Then `human performance would again have jumped ahead of machines. (Cowen, CSM, 2/11/71)
February 11-12: Delegation from 11-nation European Space Conference met at Dept. of State with State Dept., NASC, and NASA officials to continue discussion of possible cooperation in post-Apollo space program, particularly space shuttle and space station. Conference President Theo Lefevre, Belgian Minister for Scientific Policy and Planning, in address raised question of availability to European nations of U.S. launchers if European collaboration in post-Apollo projects failed to materialize, or materialized to smaller degree than U.S. requested. U.S. condition that its launch vehicles be made available only for uses compatible with international agreements raised difficulties for Europeans, especially since Intelsat agreement had not been completed. ESC was proposing that each party supply its partner "with any element of the space system which it is asked to supply, while leafing to its partner the final responsibility for complying with the international agreements it has undertaken. ... these agreements are identical for the U.S. and the European countries." (Text; Joint Communique)
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