SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington, Chairman

ALSO ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE ACTIVITIES

OLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico
STUART SYMINGTON, Missouri

EARL W. COOPER, Clerk to Subcommittee
FRANKLIN B. DRYDEN, Assistant

INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1965

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1964

U.S. SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met at 8:30 a.m., pursuant to call, in room S-128, U.S. Capitol, Hon. Warren G. Magnuson (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Magnuson, Allott, Saltonstall, and Young.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE COUNCIL STATEMENT OF DR. EDWARD C. WELSH, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE COUNCIL

PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 1965

Senator MAGNUSON. The committee will come to order.

We have with us Dr. Welsh, from the Space Council. He has a short statement, which we will be glad to hear.

For the record, last year the appropriation was $525,000 and this year the budget proposes the same amount, as indicated in the justifications which will be placed in the record at this point. (The information referred to follows:)

1964 appropriation_... 1965 estimate___.

JUSTIFICATION STATEMENT

$525,000 525,000

The National Aeronautics and Space Council is responsible for advising and assisting the President on policies, plans, and programs of the United States in aeronautical and space activities. It is primarily concerned with a wide variety of new and complex problems associated with the expanding national effort in space.

The Vice President is Chairman of the Council and membership includes the Secretaries of State and Defense, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. This appropriation provides salaries of the Council staff and expenses of Council operations.

The National Aeronautics and Space Council was activated in March 1961, when the President appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate an Executive Secretary. In April 1961, by amendment to the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, the Council was located in the Executive Office of the President.

Experience during fiscal year 1962 and 1963 was sufficient to indicate that the plans on which the initial budgets had been based were reasonable and sound. The major aspects of such plans were to develop and maintain a small staff of, highly competent personnel, to avoid duplication of staff and functions of other Government agencies, and to direct main attention upon the policy issues rather than upon the day-to-day operations of the national aeronautics and space programs.

Due primarily to the estimate that certain equipment costs would not recur, the budget request for fiscal year 1963 was $530,000, a reduction of $15,000 below

1

the 1962 appropriation. A reexamination of all supporting items permitted a reduction of $5,000 in the estimates for fiscal year 1964. The same budget request of $525,000 is made for fiscal year 1965 in spite of an increasing workload and an accelerated space program.

A total staff of approximately 32 is planned, including the Executive Secre, tary, aerospace assistants, other professionals, and clerical staff. Under the supervision of the Executive Secretary, the staff has the responsibility for preparing recommendations and taking other actions to advise and assist the President throughout the broad spectrum identified as "aeronautic and space activities." The Council meets at the call of the Chairman to take up major issues which require joint consideration by the members. The Executive Secretary is responsible for bringing such issues to the attention of the Chairman, and making the necessary preparations for constructive sessions. More frequent meetings briefings, and consultations are conducted or participated in by the staff, with policy-level members of other agencies engaged in the national space program. A continuing effort is made to clarify policies, eliminate duplication, foster interagency cooperation, and promote efficiency of operations.

In reference to the activities concerning which the Council is to advise and assist the President, the law specifies no limit to such activities, but does state that they will include the following:

"1. survey all significant aeronautical and space activities including the policies, plans, programs, and accomplishments of all departments and agencies of the United States engaged in such activities;

"2. develop a comprehensive program of aeronautical and space activities to be conducted by departments and agencies of the United States;

"3. designate and fix responsibility for the direction of major aeronautical and space activities;

"4. provide for effective cooperation among all departments and agencies of the United States engaged in aeronautical and space activities, and specify, in any case in which primary responsibility for any category of aeronautical and space activities has been assigned to any department or agency, which of those activities may be carried on concurrently by other departments or agencies; and

"5. resolve differences arising among departments and agencies of the United States with respect to aeronautical and space activities under this act, including differences as to whether a particular project is an aeronautical and space activity." In brief, the Council's functions include surveying policies, developing programs, designating responsibilities, providing cooperation, and resolving differences. Performance of these functions applies to all aeronautic and space activities and to all departments and agencies of the Government engaged in such activities. Some of the space areas in which staff members have responsibilities are communications, navigation, meteorology, manned military projects, manned nonmilitary projects, unmanned scientific explorations, booster and propulsion developments, employment of atomic energy, international relationships, legislative and budgetary changes, and Executive order preparation and modification. To supplement the full-time work of the staff, funds are included to provide consultant services which will be required from time to time on specific projects. Provision is made in the estimates for necessary travel and for rental of motor vehicles on an as-needed basis. Provision is also made for transportation of things; rent, communications, and utilities; printing and reproduction; supplies and materials; equipment; personnel benefits; and other services, as shown in the accompanying object classification schedules.

Personnel compensation and staffing.—$412,800 for 32 permanent positions distributed as follows:

Summary statement on "Other objects": for 1965, $112,200

12 Personnel benefits, $29,700.-Includes contributions to retirement fund, $26,000; health benefits, $2,075; group insurance, $1,300; and Federal Insurance Contributions Act, $325.

21 Travel and transportation of persons, $35,000.-Includes funds for travel to space research and development sites for firsthand study by Council staff.

Also includes funds for payment to GSA motor pool for hire of automobiles when needed for transportation of officials and staff of the Council on official business in the Washington area.

23 Rent, communications, and utilities, $6,000.-For telephone services and equipment usage and other utilities as required. Also included are telegraph and penalty mail.

24 Printing and reproduction, $6,000.-Provides for printing and binding of reports, studies, and other publications as needed, and normal duplicating done on a commercial or reimbursable basis.

25 Other services, $28,500.-Provides $16,000 reimbursement to GSA for administrative services, and $12,500 for health room services, office machine repair, furniture repair, personnel security checks, commercial contracts, etc. 26 Supplies and materials, $5,000.-For office supplies and other work materials such as legislative bills, reports, enacted legislation, and periodicals. 31 Equipment, $2,000.-For office furniture and equipment, including such items as typewriters and calculators.

BUDGET REQUEST, 1965

Dr. WELSH. Mr. Chairman, the National Aeronautics and Space Council is responsible for advising and assisting the President in the aeronautics and space fields. To meet this responsibility, a small staff has been developed under the supervision of the Executive Secretary. A budget request of $525,000 has been made to pay staff expenses as may be required for fiscal year 1965.

This is the fourth annual budget request made for the Council. The first one, for fiscal year 1962, was $535,000; then for fiscal year 1963 it was $530,000; and for fiscal year 1964 it was $525,000. In each instance, the amount requested was appropriated, and I am appreciative of the confidence so indicated in our operations.

I would be pleased to match the ability and industry of the Council staff with that of any comparable group in or out of the Government.

GENERAL WORK OF COUNCIL

During the past year, we have been called upon increasingly by the members and staffs of the congressional committees concerned with space matters, in order to furnish competent and objective information and advice about the national space program. While our job is to advise and assist the President, I believe that such contributions as we can make to keep the Congress informed are also assists to the President indirectly and hence within the scope of our area of responsibility.

As I have testified in the past, among other things, we participate in the overall space budget analyses prior to their formal presentation to the President and their transmission to the Congress. In so doing, we are able to advise as to duplications, speed of performance on projects, advanced planning, and areas of needed coordination. The President can and does call upon the Council staff for advice on specific projects as well.

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

During the past year, the Council directly and through its staff engaged in a wide range of policy and coordinating activities. Among such activities were:

(a) formulated and recommended to the President that the United States initiate a supersonic transport prototype development program at the earliest possible date, with the objective of obtaining a safe, economically sound, and superior aircraft;

(b) Supervised the preparation and conducted the editing of the President's Annual Report to the Congress on aeronautics and space activities for 1963;

(c) Testified on space and aeronautical activities before committees of the Congress;

(d) Increased the public understanding of the national space program through speeches, articles, public appearances, and interviews;

(e) Participated in the analysis and development of the fiscal year 1965 budgets for space;

(f) Coordinated efforts leading to the launch of an orbiting dipole belt and the release of information to the world scientific community in accordance with the President's policy on Project WEST FORD; (g) Participated in continuing review of the major policy and planning issues confronting the Communications Satellite Corp.;

(h) Coordinated procedures for the placing of nuclear auxiliary power devices in spacecraft and made positive recommendations to the President regarding such launches;

(i) Initiated coordination on space projects, such as space stations for military and nonmilitary missions;

(5) Participated in the development of U.S. positions with respect to bilateral arrangements with the Soviet Union in the field of weather, communications, and geomagnetic satellites;

(k) Visited space installations, examined facilities, and discussed space developments and problems with managerial and technical specialists;

(1) Engaged in numerous interagency, as well as Governmentindustry, meetings and briefings on new developments in space technology and space benefits;

(m) Participated in analyses leading to the decision to initiate a Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) project;

(n) Developed internal analyses on nuclear rocket propulsion; nuclear auxiliary power, reliability of space launching vehicles, lunar and earth orbital rendezvous, range instrumentation ships, postlunar missions, high-velocity space probes, and space station program decisions; and

(0) Maintained a current record of United States and Soviet space. launches, developed comparisons between U.S. and U.S.S.R. space activities, and reviewed space accomplishments and potential of other nations.

INTEREST OF PRESIDENT IN COUNCIL

It may be noted that in the formal justification statement, it is asserted that the Vice President is Chairman of the Council. That is, of course, correct as regards the statutory provision. However, since we do not now have a Vice President, the President has indicated that he desires to maintain his interest in the Council functions. He has also announced that for the time being the Executive Secretary would be the Acting Chairman.

Senator MAGNUSON. Which is you.

Dr. WELSH. That is correct, sir.