Abstract

Windfall In Space

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) came to an "understanding," that in keeping with the U.S. tradition, the Administration would proceed on the assumption that private enterprise should lead the nation into the space-communications era. The conclusion drawn by House members otherwise eager for a fight on the issue was that the Administration approved the agreement which, in effect, said that the way to effective free enterprise was through capitalistic monopoly. The conclusion seemed substantiated when, subsequently, U.S. President John F. Kennedy demanded only that certain "safeguards" be written into the bill. Then even certain of these safeguards were rejected by the legislators.