Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–1, Documents on Global Issues, 1969–1972

237. National Security Decision Memorandum 70¹ ²

Washington, July 10, 1970.

TO:

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• The Director, Office of Science and Technology
• The Executive Secretary, National Aeronautics and Space Council

SUBJECT:

• International Space Cooperation: US-USSR Activities

The President has decided that space cooperation with the Soviet Union should be pursued simultaneously through high-level. diplomatic and technical agency channels. He has noted and approved the scope of a US-USSR cooperative space. program forwarded from the Ad Hoc Committee on International Space Cooperation through the NSC Under Secretaries Committee.

The President does not, at this time, desire to send a formal communication to Premier Kosygin urging closer space cooperation. He will, however, consider such a message whenever it appears likely that a concrete program proposal will be favorably received by the Soviet Union.

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files, (H-Files), Box H-217, NSDM Files, NSDM 70. Confidential. Copies were sent to Shultz and Flanigan.
2. President Nixon directed that cooperation with the Soviet Union in space should be pursued, but that a direct approach to Soviet Premier Kosygin should not be undertaken.