Memorandum of Conference with the President Authored by Andrew J. Goodpaster
This memorandum authored by Andrew J. Goodpaster records a meeting in which a possible reconnaissance satellite involving a recoverable film capsule was proposed to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. When implemented, the plan was named Project Corona.
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OCR Page 1 of 3February 10, 1958
MEMORANDUM OF CONFERENCE WITH THE PRESIDENT
February 7, 1958
D.
Others present:
Dr. Killian
Mr. Land
BE Elizabeth
General Goodpaster
Dr. Killian said he and Mr. Land had come in to discuss a proposal
for a reconnaissance satellite with the President. He said they had
discussed it with Secretaries McElroy and Quarles and Mr. Allen
Dulles yesterday. The project is for an earth satellite equipped
with photographic apparatus in a "recoverable capsule" which could
be used to yield both scientific and extremely important military
information. The idea is that the satellite would circle the earth
three times and then eject the capsule. It would emit no electronics
signals, and could therefore be completely covert. The President
asked how the capsule could be gotten back and Dr. Killian said it
could be landed within a ore-selected area of ten square miles.
It
would be a project in which the Air Force and the Navy would join --
the Navy to recover the capsule.
Mr. Land gave further details at Dr. Killian's request.
This is
a specific small project for bona fide intelligence purposes. It would
be of the utmost importance to carry it on quietly, under the cloak of
other activities. From high-flying aircraft, with present good
photography, an object of four-foot dimension can be discerned.
From the satellite an object of minimum dimension somewhere be-
tween fifty and 100 feet could be discerned. It would be very easy
for the Soviets, if they anticipate this operation, to build dummies
that would "fool" the camera. One idea would be to get these pic-
tures and use them as a "scouting" program to guide more precise
intelligence means to selected targets. He indicated that the Air
Force -- specifically General Schriever would work on this with
CIA as a joint project. He mentioned that a THOR plus a NAVAHO
booster might be used for this purpose.
The President indicated he supposed this would be done as part of
the space program Dr. Killian is working on. He also indicated
that CIA should have complete and exclusive control of all of the