STEERING COMMITTEE/ARGO MEETING, 9 DECEMBER 1969

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T01137A000200060001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 23, 1969
• Content Type: MEMO

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SUBJECT: Steering Committee/ARGO Meeting, 9 December 1969
1.I and I attended
the meeting of the Steering Committee/ARGO on 9 December 1969.
The meeting was held in Room 208 of the Executive Office Building.
2. ced himself to the group as the 25X1
new ARGO Chairman. epiaces in the 25X1
President's Office of Science and Technology.) 25X1
however, presided over the meeting since he was more familiar with
the individuals present and the pending subjects.
3. Items remaining from the October meeting were discussed.
It was mentioned that in order for NASA to establish a photo-
graphic laboratory in support of the Apollo underflight program,
funds are needed. The purpose of this installation wopld be to
process and reproduce the aircraft program materials only. NASA
has combined their Earth Resources Program and Weather Program into
a single effort entitled the Earth Observation Program. The
proposed contract was mentioned as being in limbo until
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such time as tasks which require the assistance of such a contract
facility are surfaced. It is hoped that some Science and Technology
funds, which could support such a contract will become available when
a new budget is firmed up.
announced that with the
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exception of some color material w is
is still being duplicated, the
majority of the Camille photography has been disseminated. After
such disasters, some means of coordination is needed in order to
provide photographic coverage of the affected areas to the users
on a timely basis. This effort is presently being worked on by
Some means must also be found to provide 25X1
the user with his needed coverage rather than the present method of
issuing the user the entire take of a camera system when his need is
for only a portion of the mission. Such a distribution system would
reduce the amount of duplication needed and thereby affect a cost
savings.
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l~ i~) 0 25X1
SUBJECT: Steering Committee/ARGO Meeting, 9 December 1969
?a ..b- vl\ V 115 '-
Snow Line Project. He thanked the DOD for the flights flown in
his support, for their suggested method of degradation
printing and the-NPIC for its production of the required special
prints. The aim of the Snow Line Project was to determine the
coarseness of resolution which will permit snow line detection
to the required accuracy. His findings were that a well defined
snow area can be distinguished to an accuracy of one-fourth the
resolution of the system. This means that utilizing a 100 foot
resolution system, the snow line can be plotted to a 25 foot
accuracy. For a lesser defined snow area (wooded terrain) the
results of the study indicate that the snow area can be distinguished
to an accuracy of one-half the resolution of the system. Findings
thus indicate that for snow line determination accuracies can be
obtained which are above the resolution capability of the system.
Predominant factors which make this possible are the high contrast
of the subject involved (the lesser defined snow area which offers
less contrast produces a reduced accuracy) and the fact that
individual points are not being interpreted, but rather the
lineament of the snow/no snow edge. This study indicates that
ESSA can satisfy its requirements with a reconnaissance system of
coarser resolution than had been previously expected. The study
will thereby effect a cost savings in this program. The photography
obtained for the Snow Line Project provided an interesting and
beneficial side light. The high altitude coverage disclosed that
the snow caps (above the solid snow field beginning at the snow line)
were spotty to nonexistent. Conventional low-level observations had
failed to disclose this fact and it had been presumed that the snow
cover was solid from the snow line to the mountain peaks. With the
disclosure that this was not true, previous plans to allow a large
initial run-off were changed in order-to retain an adequate water
supply in dams and reservoirs. Originally this amount was to have
been obtained from the second rise which, the high altitude photography
disclosed, would not occur. This finding points.up the fact that
means, other than presently employed, are necessary to provide adequate
information for a satisfactory water usage program. of
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SUBJECT: Steering Committee/ARGO Meeting, 9 December 1969
the USGS presented a recap of their work on the Alaska Pipe Line
Project. The project purpose is to determine the best route for
a pipe line running from the south Alaskan shore to Prudhoe Bay.
Adequate survey information was available from Fairbanks south,
but sparse to nonexistent for the northern areas with the excep-
tion of the immediate Prudhoe Bay region. KH-4 material was
utilized in conjunction with available ground truth to provide
adequate information for route determination on WAC 250 plots.
This work was accomplished at the Reston TK facility and it was
estimated that a one-month effort utilizing KH-4 material is
equal to 2 to 3 years work done by conventional means.
spoke on the application of aerial reconnaissance for:
a. Design of dams and reservoirs
b. Disaster damage assessment
c. Design of coastal installations
(1) The comprehensive coverage provided by satellite
reconnaissance photography is of an advantage in determing
the optimum locations for the construction of dams and
reservoirs. Present satellite photography is, however,
inadequate for the determination of terrain contour
interval information necessary for construction since
a 10 foot interval is the best that can be accomplished. Such
interval information is suitable onl h dams where
as aircraft photography from which contour inter-
vals can be determined, is required or the majority of
their work. A pilot project to compare the planning potential
of aircraft/satellite coverage with conventional methods
now in progress is in the mill. Its findings will be
reported at a later date.
(2) To be most. effective, flood (disaster) zone damage
assessment requiresboth before and after aerial photography.
Once the disaster happens, the after coverage can be ob-
tained; however, in a majority of cases the before disaster
T1 1 j (Knnr i1
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ii "I
SUBJECT: Steering Committee/ARGO Meeting, 9 December 1969
coverage is not available, not current, or requires entirely
too much investigation to locate. The Office of the Chief
of Engineers has in mind to develop a domestic coverage
photographic bank of disaster prone areas to provide a data
base for assessing damage if and when a catastrophe occurs.
This proposal brought favorable comment from other members
of the ARGO committee since they had all wished that someone
would assume such an undertaking. The members expressed the
hope that the Chief of Engineers Office would consider it a
valuable effort.and carry through on the idea. In addition,
the coverage must be kept current by continuous updating,
since only a current data base will provide the required
info necessary for accurate damage assessment. ' 25X1
expressed the opinion that satellite photography
will not provide an adequate data base because of the small
scale and that aircraft photography should have an altitude
range of from 6,000 to 10,000 feet. No focal length/camera
system was mentioned.
(3) A knowledge of wave height and direction is neces-
sary for location selection and design of coastal installations.
Satellite coverage is ideal for the determination of gross
water surface patterns which indicate wave direction. Such
photography is not suitable; however, for the direction of wave
heights since a one foot accuracy interval is'required. Laser
ranging from aircraft was mentioned as a possible means of
wave height determination but nothing more was said on this
topic. Shoaling patterns, beach erosion, slit shift and inlet
migration require a data base upon which changes can be established.
Ten or twenty years of photographic coverage would pin down
these changes and permit better planning of future installations
and the establishment of channels with lower maintenance costs.
This ten - twenty years of historic coverage is needed now and
is not available. The point here is to start the collection
process so that in ten - twenty years we will not face a similar
problem, hinftght-rather than foresight. In 25X1
opinion, coverage better than presently obtained via satellite
is required to provide adequate. information. The classification
problem presented by satellite photography was also named as
a deterrent for its use in such projects.
4
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SUBJECT: Steering Committee/ARGO Meeting, 9 December 1969
6. The author presented a briefing on the new Eastman Kodak
aerial color film SO-242. 'efing employed viewgraphs,
obtained from 777 of the Eastman Kodak Company,
on the characteristics of S0-242, ound resolution estimates of
the S0-242 record were stated. The committee
members were then shown examples of the color duplicate positives
generated from the S0-242 originals acquired The
group expressed interest in the utilization of S0-242 on Mission
1108 since this KH-4 coverage will provide a direct comparison
between film types 3404 (black & white) and SO-242 (color) exposed
in the same time frame with similar acquisition parameters.
Agriculture mentioned that he had recently been on ra tripytoA
Mexico to discuss working with the Mexican government in an'.
effort to sense and destroy marijuana crops via aerial recon-
naissance and aerial chemical dusting. It is illegal to grow
marijuana in Mexico but enforcement of this edict is impractical
by conventional means. An off shoot of these methods may be an
agreement with Turkey for the US to aid them in their control of
the opium poppy.
8. The next ARGO Meeting is scheduled for 28 January 1970.
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NPIC/TSSG/APSD/IEB/Sec I
Distribution:
Cy
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- NPIC/TSSG/APSD
2
- NPIC/TSSG/APSD
3
- NPIC/PPBS, Attn:
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- NPIC/TSSG/RED/RSB
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