Office of the Historian

52. National Security Action Memorandum No. 3541

Washington, July 29, 1966.

TO

  • The Secretary of State
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

SUBJECT

  • U.S. Cooperation with the European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO)

The President has noted the memorandum of July 24, 1966,2 from the Department of State transmitting the conclusion of the Ad Hoc Committee of the National Aeronautics and Space Council that it is a matter of urgency that we clarify and define our policy with respect to the development of the European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO) and the extent of U.S. cooperation with ELDO’s present and future programs.

The President concurs in the overall statement of policy that it is in the U.S. interest to encourage the continued development of ELDO through U.S. cooperation. He further approves the recommendation that in the event that ELDO desires cooperation with the U.S. the Department of State in consultation with NASA, the Department of Defense and other responsible agencies, may make the above policy known to the members of ELDO and to take such specific action in cooperation with the other interested agencies as may be necessary to carry out this policy.

The President has also noted that the Department of State with the assistance and agreement of the members of the Ad Hoc Committee of the National Aeronautics and Space Council has prepared a detailed statement defining the nature and extent of U.S. cooperation with ELDO which the U.S. Government is now prepared to extend (attached).3 He concurs in the desirability of such interdepartmental program development [Page 105] and requests that this statement be continuously reviewed by the responsible agencies to ensure that it is current and responsive in terms of developing circumstances.

W.W. Rostow
  1. Source: Department of State, NSAM Files: Lot 72 D 316. Confidential. Copies were also sent to the National Aeronautics and Space Council, Hornig, O’Connell, and Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Foster.↩
  2. Document 51.↩
  3. This word in parentheses has been inserted by hand. The attachment is identical to the “US Position” section of Document 50.↩