national cooperation in space activities. In addition, article IV does impose prohibitions on the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Article V precludes the establishment of military bases, installations and fortifications on the Moon and other celestial bodies, and states that "the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used . . . exclusively for peaceful purposes." The Treaty does not, however, contain any specific prohibition against the development of an anti-satellite capability.

As your constituent] notes, article IX of the Treaty requires that States Parties to the Treaty undertake appropriate international consultations before proceeding with activities or experiments in outer space which "would cause potentially harmful interference with the activities of other States Parties in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space." So long as they do not cause a "potentially harmful interference" within the meaning of this article, activities or experiments for the development of an anti-satellite capability are not in violation of this provision.

We do wish to point out, in regard to [your constituent's] inquiry concerning diplomatic approaches, that the question of arms limitations with respect to potential anti-satellite activities has in fact been taken up with the Soviet Union. In his March 9, 1977, press conference, President Carter indicated that the United States had made certain suggestions to the Soviet Union with regard to a possible agreement in this area. This topic was raised with the Soviets in March, and as Secretary Vance subsequently indicated in public comments, the United States and the Soviet Union have agreed to establish a bilateral working group to discuss such limitations. In testimony before a Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee on October 26, Ambassador Marshall Shulman pointed out that we are now preparing proposals on this subject. President Carter has also recently stated that he expects negotiations on this topic to commence soon.

The United States is fully committed to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space by all States for the benefit of mankind and intends to conduct its activities in outer space in accordance with international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. We are very concerned by the prospect of another state deploying anti-satellite systems, and hope that we can succeed through negotiations in averting a potential arms competition in this field. However, there is presently no specific international prohibition on the development of such systems, which is precisely why we have pursued this question with the Soviet Union.

Dept. of State File No. P77 0190–1219.

Art. XII of the 1972 Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems reads as follows:

1. For the purpose of providing assurance of compliance with the provisions of this Treaty, each Party shall use national technical means of verification at its disposal in a manner consistent with generally recognized principles of international law.

2. Each Party undertakes not to interfere with the national technical means of verification of the other Party operating in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article.

Art. V of the 1972 Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms reads as follows:

1. For the purpose of providing assurance of compliance with the provisions of this Interim Agreement, each Party shall use national technical means of verification at its disposal in a manner consistent with generally recognized principles of international law.

2. Each Party undertakes not to interfere with the national technical means of verification of the other Party operating in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article.

3. Each Party undertakes not to use deliberate concealment measures which impede verification by national technical means of compliance with the provisions of this Interim Agreement. This obligation shall not require changes in current construction, assembly, conversion, or overhaul practices. Art. IV of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty reads as follows:

States Parties to the Treaty undertake not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner.

The moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all States Parties to the Treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes. The establishment of military bases, installations and fortifications, the testing of any type of weapons and the conduct of military maneuvers on celestial bodies shall be forbidden. The use of military personnel for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes shall not be prohibited. The use of any equipment or facility necessary for peaceful exploration of the moon and other celestial bodies shall also not be prohibited.

Art. IX of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty reads as follows:

In the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, States Parties to the Treaty shall be guided by the principle of cooperation and mutual assistance and shall conduct all their activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, with due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties to the Treaty. States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue studies of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse changes in the environment of the Earth resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter and, where necessary, shall adopt appropriate measures for this purpose. If a State Party to the Treaty has reason to believe that an activity or experiment planned by it or its nationals in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, would cause potentially harmful interference with activities of other States Parties in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, it shall undertake appropriate international consultations before proceeding with any such activity or experiment. A State Party to the Treaty which has reason to believe that an activity or experiment planned by another State Party in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, would cause potentially harmful interference with activities in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, may request consultation concerning the activity or experiment.

On November 7, 1977, President Carter transmitted to the Congress an annual report entitled World Weather Program Plan for Fiscal Year 1978. His message described the genesis of the program and nature of the report as follows:

Senate Concurrent Resolution 67 of the 90th Congress dedicated the United States to participate in the World Weather Program

in order to develop improved worldwide weather observations and services and to conduct a comprehensive program of research to extend our understanding and prediction of global weather and climate variations. I am pleased to transmit, in accordance with that resolution, this annual World Weather Plan that describes significant activities and accomplishments and outlines the planned participation of Federal agencies for the coming fiscal year. The progress already achieved in this vital program demonstrates that we truly can do something to help our people anticipate and cope with the effects of the world's weather.

13 Weekly Comp. of Pres. Doc. 1712 (Nov. 7, 1977).

Set forth below are portions of the text of the report dealing with World Weather Watch, which is coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization, the satellite observation programs operated by the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries, and the worldwide surface-based observation network:

The World Weather Program provides the mechanism among the nations of the world for integrating activities directed toward improved weather and hydrologic services and environmental quality. The goals of the World Weather Program focus on extending the range and scope of weather forecasts, understanding the basis of climate and climatic changes, assessing the consequences of man's activities on the global atmosphere, and examining the feasibility of large-scale weather modification. This section reports on the U.S. progress, in conjunction with other nations of the world, in implementing the major elements of the World Weather Program. These elements are the World Weather Watch (WWW) and the Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP), both of which are supported by the System Design and Technological Development program.

World Weather Watch

The World Meteorological Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations with 144 Members, coordinates the international planning and implementation of the World Weather Watch. The international World Weather Watch Plan is updated in four-year cycles to coincide with the WMO financial period and the meetings of the WMO Congress. In 1975, the Seventh WMO Congress approved the WWW Plan for the period 1976-1979. To assist in the implementation of the WWW, a Voluntary Assistance Program has been established which consists of contributions by Members in terms of equipment and services, training, and cash. Annually, the WMO Executive Committee Panel on VAP meets to consider and recommend projects to be circulated for possible support.

The World Weather Watch is designed as an integrated global system consisting of observing, telecommunications, and data processing functions called, respectively, the Global Observing System (GOS), and Globai Telecommunication System (GTS), and the Global Data Processing System (GDPS). Conceptually,

it is convenient to think of the WWW as organized on a three-level basis, namely the global, the regional, and the national levels.

The Global Observing System consists of two subsystems that provide the meteorological and related environmental observations needed for the WWW and GARP. The first, the space-based satellite subsystem, is composed of polar-orbiting satellites and those in geostationary orbit. The second subsystem, the surface-based system, is composed of the basic synoptic surface and upper air networks, other stations on land and sea, and aircraft meteorological observations.

Rapid technological changes and exploding requirements for data from applied programs, particularly environmental monitoring, have led to important additions being included in the 19761979 Plan. Geostationary and polar-orbiting meteorological satellites are playing an ever increasing role. Automatic weather stations and especially buoys are becoming important sources of environmental information from data-sparse areas. Solid-state radars are being provided to stations in the tropics to obtain upper wind data. The implementation of geophysical monitoring stations and the expansion of related observing programs have taken on an increased importance and are receiving special attention.

Satellite Observation

The United States operates a network of satellites and associated ground facilities to provide data used in meeting its responsibilities for meteorological prediction and warning, oceanographic and hydrologic services and space environment prediction and warning. In part, these responsibilities stem directly from commitments to the WWW. The evolving requirements of the satellite data users and the improved technology now available have led to the initiation of a third generation polar-orbiting satellite series. TIROSN/NOAA, with its first launch planned for 1978, has been designed to provide better data than the present polar satellites. Its major data improvements will be higher accuracy and an increase in the number of atmospheric temperature and water vapor soundings, increased spectral radiometric information for more accurate sea surface temperature mapping and delineation of melting snow and ice fields, a remote platform location and data collection capability, and increased proton, electron, and alpha particle spectral information for improved solar disturbance prediction.

TIROS-N is a NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] and NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] cooperative program. NASA funds the development and launch of the first flight hardware and procures and launches subsequent space hardware on a reimbursable basis. NOAA funds subsequent flight hardware, establishes the ground facilities, and operates the satellites in orbit.

Each polar-orbiting satellite operated by the United States is capable of daily providing two global sets of observations of cloud cover, vertical temperature and humidity profiles, sea-surface and land temperatures, and snow and ice cover.

Many of these data are inputs to numerical models for global analysis and prediction of weather systems. Data are received at Wallops Island, Virginia; and Gilmore Creek, Alaska; and then distributed by facsimile to National Weather Service forecast offices. Both the United States and the U.S.S.R. operate polar-orbiting satellites as part of the WWW.

The United States initiated the first stage of an operational geostationary satellite system with the successful launchings of the Synchronous Meteorological Satellites, SMS 1 in May 1974, SMS 2 in February 1975, and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-1) in October 1975. In June 1977, GOES-2 was launched and stationed over the Equator at 75 degrees west longitude to replace GOES-1. Both SMS-1 and GOES-1 have been put on a reserve status due to the partial failure of some onboard systems. GOES-2 and SMS-2, at 135 degrees west, comprise the current operational geostationary satellite system. Launchings of three additional geostationary satellites are planned by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese and U.S.Š.R. Governments between late 1977 and the end of 1978. Geostationary satellites monitor solar radiation, provide nearly continuous imaging of cloud cover and wind fields derived from cloud motions, and are relay points for data collection and distribution. Currently, 55 National Weather Service forecast offices and forecast centers receive SMS and GOES.

While the United States now relies heavily on the GOES, much of the world will continue to rely on polar-orbiting satellites for local satellite imagery until ESA, the U.S.S.R., and Japan launch their geostationary satellites. Local readout of cloud image data is still available from U.S. polar-orbiting satellites through the Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) service to all meteorological services able to make the modest investment in satellite radio receiving and display equipment. APT provides instant weather information, both day and night, over thousands of square miles in the vicinity of the local readout stations. Over 800 APT stations are operated worldwide in 130 nations.

Surface-Based Observations

Monitoring the global environment from the storm scale through the planetary scale requires a variety of surface-based observations. During the early part of the 1976-1979 period, more than 3,500 surface synoptic stations, about 700 sounding stations, and 100 optical wind-finding sites will constitute the primary sources of synoptic meteorological data needed by WMO Members for operational and research purposes. These stations comprise the Regional Basic Synoptic Networks in each WMO Region. Over 6,000 mobile ships from many nations participate in the WMO Voluntary Observing Ship program and furnish nearly all the surface observations from ocean areas. Upper air observations over the oceans are obtained from Ocean Station Vessels and islands in the major

oceans.

U.S. Gov. Printing Office, World Weather Program-Plan for Fiscal Year 1978 (Stock No. 003-017-00410-4), pp. 13-16.