exchanges have included several species of cranes, Mongolian wild horses, Siberian tigers, and snow leopards. Zoos in New York City, San Diego, Omaha, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Indianapolis have been Exchanges of this sort are important in enhancing the genetic diversity of species which exist primarily or soley in

involved.

captivity.

Finally, the Environmental Agreement affords a reliable forum for bilateral discussions of pressing multilateral concerns. This is particularly vital as the international community comes to grips with global environmental challenges such as depletion of stratospheric ozone and climate change induced by increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Through bilateral consultations and investigations, our two countries could help shape an international scientific consensus on these global issues.

A concise response to the question of balance of benefit remains elusive. The Environmental Agreement provides different types of benefit--tangible and intangible, near-term and longrange--which are not intercomparable. Several points can be stated confidently: 1) an approximate balance exists

across the entire program; 2) Soviet contribution in the majority of active projects has improved markedly over the years; 3) the trend toward fewer visits and more tightly focused projects has enhanced productivity; and 4) the benefits of cooperation amply justify the U.S. investment.

Looking to the future, EPA and most of the other agencies involved expect to continue exchanges at approximately current levels, with minor adjustments in specific projects or working groups. No new U.S. proposals are envisioned in the near term until the Soviets have responded substantively to our initiatives of last year. At the same time, we will attempt to broaden our discussions with Soviet colleagues, at both the working and policy levels, on key global issues such as climate change, and will be

open to new joint research opportunities in the years ahead.

This is in response to your letter of June 27, addressed to Administrator Fletcher, regarding your request for a report on U.S.-Soviet activities under the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Agreement on Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes.

Enclosed is a copy of the subject report. If we may be of further
assistance, please do not hesitate to so advise.

Sincerely,

John F. Murphy

Assistant Administrator

for Legislative Affairs

Enclosure

US/USSR SPACE AGREEMENT, 1972-82
BASIC ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN:

The US/USSR Space Agreement was signed on May 24, 1972 in Moscow by President Nixon and Soviet Premier Kosygin. It was renewed in 1977 for another five years. By Presidential decision announced December 29, 1981, the agreement was not renewed in response to the imposition of martial law in Poland. It lapsed on May 24, 1982.

Under the space agreement, US/USSR cooperative bilateral activities were carried out in five areas:

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP): The purpose of ASTP was to develop compatible systems for the rendezvous and docking of manned spacecraft of the US and USSR. The joint mission took place in July 1975 and involved docking of the US Apollo and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft, crew exchanges and conducting five joint experiments.

Space Biology and Medicine: In 1975, Foundations of Space
Biology and Medicine was jointly published in English and
Russian. The three volumes contain joint and independent
papers and comprise a basic review of research in space
life sciences. In 1976, agreement was reached on the
standardization of key medical measurements and procedures
for US and Soviet manned missions. From 1975-79, NASA flew
experiments in three "Cosmos" unmanned dedicated
biosatellite missions; NASA has participated in two
additional missions since the expiration of the US/USSR
space agreement. From 1980-82, a joint program to measure
and analyze bone calcium loss resulting from manned
spaceflight was carried out.

Near-Earth Space, the Moon and Planets: From 1972-76, a
series of joint seminars and meetings were held to exchange
information and data on lunar cartography, solar
wind/planetary interaction, active magnetospheric
experiments, Mars and Venus exploration, and collisionless
shock waves. Beginning in 1976, lunar samples from the US
Apollo and Soviet Luna 16, 20 and 24 retrieval missions
were exchanged, and data analyses were carried out. In
1978, a joint particle intercalibration project known as
'JASPIC" was conducted to intercompare US and Soviet
energetic particle instruments in active ionospheric
experiments. From 1979-82, a number of joint Venus studies
were carried out using data acquired by the US Pioneer
Venus spacecraft and the USSR Venera probes. In addition,
the Soviet space scientists made significant contributions
to two major NASA publications on Venus (Venus and Pioneer
Venus) during this period.

Study of Natural Environment: Efforts in this area from 1972-82 focused on coordinating surface, air and space research over the oceans, and exchanging results of remote sensing measurements taken by both countries over land sites in the US and USSR with the objective of improving applications for investigating the natural environment.

Space Meteorology: Bilateral cooperation under the space agreement took place in sounding rock et meteorology and satellite meteorology. In rocket meteorology, efforts focused on exchanges and analysis of rockets onde data from networks in the Eastern and Western meridional zones. In satellite meteorology, the sides exchanged lab and field data for the purpose of establishing common data processing procedures for atmospheric temperature sounding data, with the objective of making international sources of meteorological data more compatible.