NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION DIRECTIVE NUMBER 42 NATIONAL SPACE POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00148R000100320009-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 24, 2007
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: July 4, 1982
• Content Type: REGULATION

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NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL
INFORMATION
Notice
The attached document contains classified National Security Council
Information. It is to be read and discussed only by persons authorized by
law.
Your signature acknowledges you are such a person and you promise you
will show or discuss information contained in the document only with
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Persons handling this document acknowledge he or she knows and
understands the security law relating thereto and will cooperate fully with
any lawful investigation by the United States Government into any
unauthorized disclosure of classified information contained herein.
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 Approved For Release 2007/09/24 : CIA-RDP84B00148R000100320009-2
THE WHITE HOUSE
July 12, 1982 &A 7!' ,^ _ / 7 ?
MEMORANDUM FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT
THE SECRETARY OF STATE
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
THE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
THE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
THE DIRECTOR, ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT AGENCY
THE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
THE ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
SUBJECT: Unclassified Version of NSDD-42
(National Space Policy)
The President has formally appr ?ed the attached unclassified
version of the National Securit,J Decision Directive on National
Space Policy. Although the doc-..aent is unclassified, it retains
its "For Official Use Only" cav rit.
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 NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION
DIRECTIVE NUMBER 42
(UNCLASSIFIED VERSION)
I. INTRODUCTION AND PRINCIPLES
This directive establishes national policy to guide the
conduct of United States space program and related activities;
it supersedes Presidential Directives 37, 42, and 54, as
well as National Security Decision Directive 8. This directive
is consistent with and augments the guidance contained in
existing directives, executive orders, and law. The decisions
outlined in this directive provide the broad framework and
the basis for the commitments necessary for the conduct of
United States space programs.
The Space Shuttle is to be a major factor in the future
evolution of United States space programs. It will continue
to foster cooperation between the national security and
civil efforts to ensure efficient and effective use of
national resources. Specifically, routine use of the manned
Space Shuttle will provide the opportunity to understand
better and evaluate the role of man in space, to increase
the utility of space programs, and to expand knowledge of
the space environment.
The basic goals of United States space policy are to:
(a) strengthen the security of the United States; (b) main-
tain United States space leadership; (c) obtain economic and
scientific benefits through the exploitation of space;
(d) expand United States private-sector investment and
involvement in civil space and space-related activities; (e)
promote international cooperative activities that are in the
national interest; and (f) cooperate with other nations in
maintaining the freedom of space for all activities that
enhance the security and welfare of mankind.
The United States space program shall be conducted in
accordance with the following basic principles:
A. The United States is committed to the exploration
and use of space by all nations for peaceful purposes and
for the benefit of mankind. "Peaceful purposes" allow
activities in pursuit of national security goals.
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B. The United States rejects any claims to sovereignty
by any nation over outer space or celestial bodies, or any
portion thereof, and rejects any limitations on the funda-
mental right to acquire data from space.
C. The United States considers the space systems of
any nation to be national property with the right of passage
through and operations in space without interference.
Purposeful interference with space systems shall be viewed
as an infringement upon sovereign rights.
D. The United States encourages domestic commercial
exploitation of space capabilities, technology, and systems
for national economic benefit. These activities must be
consistent with national security concerns, treaties, and
international agreements.
E. The United States will conduct international
cooperative space-related activities that achieve sufficient
scientific, political, economic, or national security benefits
for the nation.
F. The United States space program will be comprised
of two separate, dis''.nct and strongly interacting programs--
national security ant civil. Close coordination, cooperation
and information exch-.,ge will be maintained among these
programs to avoid ur.'ecessary duplication.
G. The Unite States Space Transportation System
(STS) is the primary space launch system for both national
security and civil overnment missions. STS capabilities
and capacities shall be developed to meet appropriate national
needs and shall be available to authorized users -- domestic
and foreign, commercial, and governmental.
H. The United States will pursue activities in space
in support of its right of self-defense.
I. The United States will continue to study space
arms control options. The United States will consider
verifiable and equitable arms control measures that would
ban or otherwise limit testing and deployment of specific
weapons systems, should those measures be compatible with
United States national security.
II. SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
The Space Transportation System (STS) is composed of
the Space Shuttle, associated upper stages, and related
facilities. The following policies shall govern the develop-
ment and operation of the STS:
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A. The STS is a vital element of the United States
space program and is the primary space launch system for
both United States national security and civil government
missions. The STS will be afforded the degree of surviva-
bility and security protection required for a critical
national space resource.
B. The first priority of the STS program is to make
the system fully operational and cost-effective in providing
routine access to space.
C. The United States is fully committed to maintaining
world leadership in space transportation with an STS capacity
sufficient to meet appropriate national needs. The STS
program requires sustained commitments by all affected
departments and agencies. The United States will continue
to develop the STS through the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) in cooperation with the Department
of Defense (DoD). Enhancements of STS operational capability,
upper stages, and efficient methods of deploying and retrieving
paylods should be pursued as national requirements,are defined.
D. United States Government spacecraft should be
designed to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the
STS. The completion of transition to the Shuttle should
occur as expeditiously as practical.
E. NASA will assure the Shuttle's utility to the
civil users. In coordination with NASA, the DoD will assure
the Shuttle's utility to national defense and integrate
national security missions into the Shuttle system. Launch
priority will be provided for national security missions.
F. Expendable launch vehicle operations shall be con-
tinued by the United States Government until the capabilities
of the STS are sufficient to meet its needs and obligations.
Unique national security considerations may dictate developing
special-purpose launch capabilities.
G. For the near-term, the STS will continue to be
managed and operated in an institutional arrangement consistent
with the current NASA/DoD Memoranda of Understanding. Responsi-
bility will remain in NASA for operational control of the
STS for civil missions and in the DoD for operational control
of the STS for national security missions. Mission management
is the responsibility of the mission agency. As the STS
operations mature, options will be considered for possible
transition to a different institutional structure.
H. Major changes to STS program capabilities will
require Presidential approval.
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 III. CIVIL SPACE PROGRAM
The United States shall conduct civil space programs to
expand knowledge of the Earth, its environment, the solar
system, and the universe; to develop and promote selected
civil applications of space technology; to preserve the
United States leadership in critical aspects of space science,
applications, and technology; and to further United States
domestic and foreign policy objectives. Consistent with the
National Aeronautics and Space Act, the following policies
shall govern the conduct of the civil space program.
A. Science, Applications, and Technology: United
States Government civil programs shal continue a balanced
strategy of research, development, operations, and exploration
for science, applications, and technology. The key objectives
of these programs are to:
(1) Preserve the United States preeminence in
critical major space activities to enable continued exploita-
tion and exploration of space.
(2) Conduct research and experimentation to
expand understanding of: (a) astrophysical phenomena and the
origin and evolution of the universe, through long-term
astrophysical observation; (b) the Earth, its environment,
and its dynamic relation with the Sun; (c) the origin and
evolution of the solar system, through solar, planetary, and
lunar sciences and exploration; and (d) the space environment
and technology required to advance knowledge in the biological
sciences.
(3) Continue to explore the requirements, opera-
tional concepts, and technology associated with permanent
space facilities.
(4) Conduct appropriate research and experimen-
tation in advanced technology and systems to provide a basis
for future civil space applications.
B. Private Sector Participation: The United States
Government will provide a climate conducive to expanded
private sector investment and involvement in civil space
activities, with due regard to public safety and national
security. Private sector space activities will be authorized
and supervised or regulated by the government to the extent
required by treaty and national security.
C. International Cooperation: United States coopera-
tion in international civil space activities will:
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(1) Support the public, nondiscriminatory direct
readout of data from Federal civil systems to foreign ground
stations and the provision of data to foreign users under
specified conditions.
(2) The United States will continue cooperation
with other nations in international space activities by
conducting joint scientific and research programs, consistent
with technology transfer policy, that yield sufficient
benefits to the United States.
D. Civil Operational Remote Sensing: Management of
Federal civil operational remote sensing is the responsibility
of the Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce
will: (a) aggregate Federal needs for civil operational
remote sensing to be met by either the private sector or the
Federal government; (b) identify needed civil operational
system research and development objectives; and (c) in
coordination with other departments or agencies, provide for
regulation of private-sector operational remote sensing
systems.
IV. NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE PROGRAM
The United States will conduct those activities in
space that it deems necessary to its national security.
National security space programs shall support such functions
as command and control, communications, navigation, environ-
mental monitoring, warning, surveillance and space defense.
The following states the policies which shall govern the
conduct of the national security program:
A. Survivability. Survivability and endurance of
space systems, including all system elements, will be
pursued commensurate with the planned use in crisis and
conflict, with the threat, and with the availability of
other assets to perform the mission. Deficiencies will be
identified and eliminated, and an aggressive, long-term
program will be undertaken to provide more-assured surviva-
bility and endurance.
B. Anti-satellite (ASAT) Capability. The United
States will proceed with development of an ASAT capability,
with operational deployment as a goal. The primary purposes
of a United States ASAT capability are to deter threats to
space systems of the United States and its Allies and,
within such limits imposed by international law, to deny any
adversary the use of space-based systems that provide support
to hostile military forces.
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C. Space Defense. The United States will develop and
maintain an integrated attack warning, notification, verifi-
cation, and contingency reaction capability which can
effectively detect and react to threats to United States
space systems.
D. Security. Security, including dissemination of
data, shall be conducted in accordance with Executive Orders
and applicable directives for protection of national security
information and commensurate with both the missions performed
and the security measures necessary to protect related space
activities.
The following guidance is applicable to and binding
upon the United States national security and civil space
programs:
A. The national security and civil space programs
will be closely coordinated and will emphasize technology
sharing within necessary security constraints. Technology
transfer issues will be resolved within the framework of
directives, executive orders, and laws.
B. Civil earth-imaging from space will be permitted
under controls when the requirements are justified and
assessed in relation to civil benefits, national security,
and foreign policy. These controls will be periodically
reviewed to determine if the constraints should be revised.
C. The United States Government will maintain and
coordinate separate national security and civil operational
space systems when differing needs of the programs dictate.
Normal interagency coordinating mechanisms will be
employed to the maximum extent possible to implement the
policies enunciated in this directive. To provide a forum
to all Federal agencies for their policy views, to review
and advise on proposed changes to national space policy, and
to provide for orderly and rapid referral of space policy
issues to the President for decisions as necessary, a Senior
Interagency Group (SIG) on Space shall be established. The
SIG(Space) will be chaired by the Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs and will include the Deputy
or Under Secretary of State, the Deputy or Under Secretary
of Defense, the Deputy or Under Secretary of Commerce,
Director of Central Intelligence, Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament
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Agency, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration. Representatives of the Office of
Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy will be included as observers. Other agencies
or departments will participate based on the subjects to be
addressed.
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