POLITICAL APPROVAL FOR CORONA MISSION 9004

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00313A000600130061-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 3, 2003
• Sequence Number: 61
• Publication Date: August 20, 1959
• Content Type: MF

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COR-0576
CoprL1- of 4.
40 August 1959
ORANZ FOR : Deputy Director. Plans
Political Approval for CORONA k fission 9004
1. As you know, the next CORONA. firing. Mission 9004, is
programmed for I September 1959. ThIs mission will require
political approval, the timing of which is necessarily geared to
the departure of the President for Europe on 26 August 1959. In
this context. I hoard the President last week mention to Secretary
taller that both General +Goodpaster and Major Eisenhower would
be going with him on his trip. Accordingly, you may wish to coa-
sidor requesting political sanction certainly no later than 24 ,August.
& ad since you will be necessarily preoccupied with the CORONA.
.ARGON meetings on 24 And 25 August, it might be well to regard
this Friday. 22 August, as the cutoff date on your personal calendar.
2. As a matter of interest to you in this matter of CORONA
approvals. I think you might And several comments useful, arising
Prom my visit to Gettysburg a week ago today:
a. The President seamed both interested and reassured
by the fact that the mission profile for Mission p03 was
the same as for Mission 9002. which he approved as 2g July
1959. 1 later commented to Major Eisenhower on this fact,
and he said that he thought that succeeding approvals would
be largely pro forma in cases where the projected mission
profile wan the name as one the President had approved
previously.
b. The President asked me directly what the chances
were that this shot (specifically 9003) might come down in
Russia. I replied that the only odds I had over hoard quoted
such a mishap rail on a percentage of 3 in 100, 000. He
said than that he thought it might be a pretty good idea after
all if one of these shots came down in Russia and fall into
Russian hands where they could see what equipment was
being carried. He than added that he thought he could a akee
?ar hell of a good story out of such an occurrence. i'
NRO review(s) completed.
CT~
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c. At lunch after the meeting, Major Eisenhower
observed that the President has what he called a "simple
faith" in automated surveillance devices like CORONA.
He said that he personally thought we would not encounter
any climate of opinion unfavorable to CORONA such as
he said we occasionally encountered on CHALICE. I ob-
served that from where I sat, at this stage of the state of
the art In the missile field, the manned surveillance device
(CHALICE) probably deserved a greater confidence factor
than that, to which he tacitly agreed.
3. If there is anything this office can do to assist in coordi-
nation on political approval on Mission 9004, we shall await your
instructions.
JAMES A. CUNNINGHAM JR.
Chief, Admin. Branch, DPD
OD/ P
DPD-DIDP:JACJr/hh
Cy 1 & 4 - DD/P
cy 3 - A/Ch/IJPD
cy 4 - DPD/Adm
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