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{
    "localId": "12008424",
    "label": "Memorandum, Richard M. Bissell, Jr. to Andrew J. Goodpaster",
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    "id": "12008424",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum, Richard M. Bissell, Jr. to Andrew J. Goodpaster",
    "description": "This memorandum and attachment concern the security of Project Corona, an unmanned satellite surveillance program, and the handling of inquiries by the press.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12008424",
    "collections": [
        "White House Office, Office of the Staff Secretary: Records of Paul T. Carroll, Andrew J. Goodpaster, L. Arthur Minnich, and Christopher H. Russell",
        "Alphabetical Subject Files"
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{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12008424",
    "naId": 12008424,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "otherTitles": [
        "Security of Project Corona"
    ],
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 5,
            "logicalDate": "1958-11-05",
            "month": 11,
            "year": 1958
        }
    ],
    "recordType": "description",
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{
    "seq": 8,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/eisenhower/186628/186628_0010.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "CERRIE\nCHONLY\nINTELLIGENCE LIGENCE\nCENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY\nACENCY CENTRAL\nWASHINGTON 25. D.C.\nOTHER THE OF\nOFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR\n5 November 1958\nOK'd at\nMEMORANDUM FOR: Andrew J. Goodpaster\ntop as level revised\nSUBJECT\n: Project CORONA\nLibrary\n841\nHerewith is the paper I promised you on certain problems\nJuarma\na\naffecting the security of CORONA and the handling of press inquiries.\nI am also enclosing a copy of a proposed initial press release which\nmay be subject to further change but will give you an idea of what\nwe plan to announce. The basic paper was seen by and is satisfactory\nto Mr. Quarles and Dr. Killian and has been cleared with ARPA and\nthe Air Force.\nP. m. Bisselly /m\nRICHARD M. BISSELL, JR.\n2 Attachments:\nCOR-0159\nProposed Initial Press Release\nDECLASSIFIED\nCOR-0202\nAuthority MR94-3534\nCopy No.\n/\nBy BBM NLDDE Date 3/8/05\nSEGRET\nSEURLY\nCLASSIFICATION\nSECRET\nTHIS DOCUMENT REQUIRES SPECIAL HANDLING\nHANDLING PROCEDURES\nTHIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION REGARDING A HIGHLY CLASSIFIED\nACTIVITY. PERMISSION TO TRANSFER CUSTODY, OR PERMIT ACCESS TO\nTHIS DOCUMENT MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORIGINATOR. HAND CARRY\nPROCEDURES WILL BE APPLIED TO ANY INTER-OFFICE OR INTRA-AGENCY\nMOVEMENT OF THIS DOCUMENT.\n.\nThe\nLiquid\nThis document contains information\nLibrary\nour\nreferring to Project CORONA\n0\nREFERRED TO\nRECEIVED\nRELEASED\nSEEN BY\nOFFICE\nSIGNATURE\nDATE\nTIME\nDATE\nTIME\nNAME AND OFFICE SYMBOL\nDATE\nUNCLASSIFIED UPON REMOVAL\nOF CLASSIFIED ATTACHMENTS\nSECRET\nON\nFORM\nSECRET\n5 November 1958\nLibrary\n041\nSECURITY OF PROJECT CORONA\nClassiower\n1. In order to conceal the true purpose of CORONA, it is necessary\nnot only to prevent disclosure of classified information but also to minimize\nrevealing public speculation, especially in the trade press, about the\nextensive series of Thor launchings that will begin next month at Vandenberg\nAir Force Base. These activities can readily be observed from outside the\nBase by the public and will inevitably, in view of the current interest in\nspace, attract wide attention. Accordingly, the desired concealment can be\neffected only by first developing and then giving appropriate circulation to a\nlogical account of the nature and purpose of the series differing from the true\npurpose, that of aerial reconnaissance of the Soviet Union.\n2. Though there has never been an official announcement concerning\nthe Lockheed-developed 117L satellite reconnaissance system, a large\namount of publicity has appeared in the daily press and trade publications\nover a period of many months which has revealed its development to the\ngeneral public. These stories have been based on Congressional testimony,\nunofficial statements made in confidence or in public, and on unclassified\ntechnical discussion of the feasibility of such a system. Most of the stories\nhave referred to the original SENTRY reconnaissance program scheduled for\nearly 1960 rather than the 1959 CORONA (Thor) phase. They have never been\ndenied for to have done so would merely have stimulated more uncontrolled\nand damaging discussion.\n3. Although it would be impossible convincingly to deny that a\nsatellite reconnaissance system is being developed for possible future use,\nit is believed that appropriate cover stories can explain the CORONA part\nof the program as a wholly separate activity directed to a number of legiti-\nmate scientific and technical purposes. These would be described as pur-\nposes which will contribute to the development of military technology but\nare not military in character. To further this plan several payloads are\nbeing developed that will actually be carried on certain flights in the Thor\nseries so as to \"live out\" the cover story.\n4. To give public circulation to the desired explanation it is deemed\nvital that at least a minimum amount of information be released and that\nnormal announcements be made. To attempt to deny the press any informa-\ntion regarding the launchings will not only invite a penetration effort on the\nThis document contains information\nCOR-0159\nreferring to Project CORONA\nSECRET\nCopy No.\nSECRET\nThe\n- 2 -\nDwight\npart of the opposition but create an air of mystery and encourage damaging\nspeculation. At the same time it will be necessary to give consistent but\nmuch more complete technical explanations (which will be at least in part\nclassified) to the considerable number of persons who do not need to know\nthe true purpose of CORONA but are in a position to guess what it is unless\nthey are provided with a convincing alternative explanation. These are\nmainly military and company personnel working at the launch site, in the\nrecovery force, and in the companies and military organizations concerned\nwith the series. (The cover stories are outlined in Attachment A.)\n5. To accomplish the above, it is believed that a pre-series\nannouncement should be made in the immediate future by ARPA describing\nthe contemplated series in broad terms in accordance with the cover plan.\nIt is also believed that each launching should have concomitant limited\npublicity.\nAttachments:\nA-Cover Plan Summary\nSECRET\nAttachment A to\nSECRET\nCOR-0159\n5 November 1958\nCOVER PLAN SUMMARY\n841\nDIME\n1. Objectives:\na.\nARPA participation must be logically explained.\nb. Any intelligence community interest or association in\nCORONA must be concealed.\nC.\nAny scheduled or contemplated military reconnaissance\neffort, photographic or otherwise, must be concealed.\nd. A logical explanation must be given for the required\npolar orbit, stabilized flight and recovery.\ne.\nCover missions must satisfy professional curiosity by\na logical sequence of technical effort and the production\nof a product having military application.\nf. A relationship must be maintained with the press.\n2. Separation: The true nature and purpose of WS-117L has already\nbeen the subject of such extensive public discussion and the number of per-\nsons in various contractor companies and in the Military Services knowl-\nedgeable of this program is so large that it is believed to be wholly infeasible\nto deny that a satellite reconnaissance system is being developed. Accord-\ningly, to secure acceptance of an explanation of the CORONA firings which\ndenies any connection with reconnaissance or with other inherently military\nactivities, it is proposed that the whole Thor-boosted series of flights be\ndescribed as an activity entirely separate from the WS-117L program. The\nThor (CORONA) series will be named \"DISCOVERY\" and its purpose will be\nexplained as the development of a practical laboratory for the conduct of\nexperiments leading to improved military systems. The Atlas series will\ncontinue to be known as SENTRY and no attempt will be made to conceal or\ndeny the true nature of at least certain of the payloads to be carried. To\nexplain the association of Lockheed, which is the prime contractor for the\nSENTRY system, with the DISCOVERY series, it will be stated accurately\nthat, on the basis of a variety of technical and scheduling considerations,\nthe basic vehicle chosen for the DISCOVERY series is a Thor first stage\ncombined with a SENTRY second stage. It is believed that the public is now\nfully familiar with the practice of using hardware originally developed as\nmissile components to put scientific payloads into space.\nSECRET\nSECRET\n- 2 -\n3. Explanation of DISCOVERY: The major stated purpose of the\nDISCOVERY series will be the development of hardware ultimately useable\nfor either military or peaceful scientific purposes. Specifically it will be\nsaid to involve the study of stabilization, orbit ejection, recovery techniques,\nvehicle separation as related to re-entry, and engine-fuel reliability. All\nof these investigations are necessary for the development of space vehicles\nand to advance the state of the art in pilotless space operation. Included\nin the explanation will be the statement that several of the DISCOVERY\nseries are to carry biomedical payloads to test environmental conditions\nof the upper atmosphere. These flights will be reported as contributing to\nthe joint NASA/ARPA Man-In-Space program.\n4. Additional Explanations:\na. Patrick Air Force Base is crowded and new facilities will\nbe available at the Pacific Missile Range so launchings will be\nconducted from the latter location, Range safety considerations\nmake it impossible to launch in an easterly direction and take\nadvantage of the speed of the earth's rotation. To launch in a\nwesterly direction would be to accept too large a speed penalty.\nAccordingly, it is necessary to accept the 165° - 180° direction\nof launch which implies a polar orbit.\nre-unity\nb. The use of polar orbits will have the further advantage of\npermitting an exercise in the near future of the early warning net\nestablished to guard against enemy attack.\nc. Later launchings will contain equipment to study solar\npower, infra-red early warning and terminal guidance control,\nand to conduct model testing of maneuverable space vehicles.\nSECRET\nSEONET\nThe\n5 November 1958\nPROPOSED INITIAL PRESS RELEASE:\nThe Department of Defense will launch its first satellite from the Pacific\nMissile Range late this year or early next year, it was announced today\nby Roy W. Johnson, Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency.\nThis satellite is part of a series of missile and vehicle launchings\ndesignated \"DISCOVERY\" which will be conducted performed under the direction\n17/15/2019\n041\nof ARPA by the Ballistic Missile Division, ARDC, Department of\nINDIMO\nAir Force.\nThe purpose of this series is to further the development of a number\nof systems and techniques which will be employed in the production and opera-\ntion of space vehicles (for either peaceful or military purposes) Initial launch-\nings will have as their primary objective the testing of the vehicle itself and\nof vehicle subsystems including propulsion and guidance. Later vehicles in\nthe series will carry biomedical specimens and will obtain valuable data on\nenvironmental conditions useful to the NASA/ARPA joint Man-in-Space program.\nRecovery of the live animals carried aloft in these launchings will be attempted\nand they will therefore serve to develop the techniques involved in carrying\nout the recovery of a payload from an orbiting vehicle.\nMuch of the data expected to be derived from the \"DISCOVERY\"\nseries, such as the results of the biomedical flights, will be of general\nscientific interest and will be unclassified. Other results which will be\nhighly significant for the development of later systems and techniques for\nstet\nspace navigation, may be of potential [zriditory] significance and as such will\nbe classified.\ncould\nSeconity\nto U.S. security)\nThe \"DISCOVERY\" vehicle was developed under contract with the\nLockheed Aircraft Corporation for this project by ARPA directive issued\nearly this year and will be placed in orbit by a Thor booster. The combina-\ntion is believed capable of orbiting considerably heavier satellites than any\npreviously launched by the United States. Initial versions of the \"DISCOVERY\"\nwill orbit for short periods of time at relatively low altitudes."
}