In the meantime, the United States should continue its research efforts on ballistic missile defense [BMD] systems. This is the only prudent course to follow. if we are to avoid a dangerous and destabilizing Soviet technological breakthrough. We cannot and must not be caught off guard for this is an area that is under active investigation in the Soviet Union. I ask that the relevant excerpts from President Reagan's speech be included in the record at the conclusion of my remarks.

Once started, the momentum of a space weapons race will be strong and verification problems could make space arms control agreements extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Therefore, unless we can reverse the trend toward space arms quickly, the deployment of increasingly advanced and exotic weapons, such as laser defenses, may become unavoidable.

As noted, ASAT weapons are very expensive. These systems meet and often surpass the cost of the MX missile which has received much greater budgetary attention in the Senate. In cost terms, space-based missile defenses would likely dwarf ASATS. According to Dr. Robert Cooper, director of DARPA, a conventionally armed ballistic missile defense would cost from $200 to $300 billion. Similarly, a Defense Department study concludes that a missile defense based upon more advanced laser weapons would cost $500 billion. That is twice as much as the entire defense budget for this year.

We must approach a space arms competition with the greatest of caution. It is not wise to assume that in the long run such a space race will serve our Nation's interests. Before we dare join this race, we must first examine its potential risks for strategic stability and its great cost to the American taxpayer. In proceeding, arms control must be given a serious try. A space arms competition may still be avoidable and a weapons ban might still be verifiable. But that requires a return to United States-Soviet negotiations. Given sufficient seriousness on both sides, we can still hope to halt these developments. Should talks fail, we would retain our weapons option.

For these reasons, I have offered Senate Resolution 43 which includes as sponsors Senators Percy and Pell and six other Senators, including four other Senators on this committee. Senate Resolution 43 calls for negotiations on a verifiable ban on antisatellites as a first step toward prohibiting all space-based and space-directed weapons. It is a refinement of two previous resolutions.

I favor negotiations that would ban all space weapons, but I believe that negotiating such a ban is a complex task. If we are to succeed in negotiations, we must deal with first things first. Given the imminent danger of an ASAT competition, Senate Resolution 43 urges that we immediately resume ASAT talks as a first phase in negotiations that would deal with all space weapons. I ask that Senate Resolution 43 be printed in the record of this hearing together with an article by Flora Lewis in the New York Times of April 11, 1983, urging Senate action on this resolution. I also ask that two op. ed. articles that I wrote for the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times be printed at the conclusion of my remarks.

I requested that Defense Secretary Weinberger and other administration witnesses testify at this hearing. The administration has decided to withhold testimony until it concludes a review of U.S. space policy. We will hear from the administration in a hearing next month. [Text of S. Res. 43 and S.J. Res. 28 follows:]

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the President of the United States invite the Soviet Union to negotiate a verifiable ban on antisatellite weapons as a first step toward prohibiting all space-based and space-directed weapons.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 2 (legislative day, January 25), 1983

Mr. PRESSLER (for himself, Mr. PERCY, Mr. PELL, Mr. MATHIAS, Mr. CRANSTON, Mr. PROXMIRE, and Mr. D'AMATO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the President of the United States invite the Soviet Union to negotiate a verifiable ban on antisatellite weapons as a first step toward prohibiting all space-based and space-directed weapons.

Whereas the United States depends upon satellites for preserving the peace through command and control of United States forces worldwide and through early warning of strategic attack, among other functions;

Whereas satellites are vital for verification of arms control

agreements;

Whereas the safety of such important missions including those performed by the Space Shuttle would be compromised by the threat posed by killer satellites;

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Whereas a space arms race would undermine strategic stability; Whereas a military space race would add to the uncertainties faced by military planners and thereby complicate the task of designing an effective military force structure;

Whereas an arms race in space would be a drain on the American taxpayer and would undermine our ability to correct current deficiencies in our military posture;

Whereas the United States and other nations rely increasingly

on space-based systems for weather forecasting, communications, natural resource exploration and other important commercial activities;

Whereas the maximum utilization of space technology for commerce and science is assured only under peaceful conditions; Whereas the unregulated deployment of hazardous space systems, even if intended for nonweapons purposes, poses a serious danger to human life; and

Whereas the present pace of military space developments will soon reduce the prospects of avoiding the weaponization of outer space: Now, therefore, be it

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Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that

(a) the President should immediately prepare a proposal and invite the Soviet Union to negotiate a verifiable ban on the development, testing, production, and deployment of antisatellite weapons as a first step toward prohibiting all space-based and space-directed

weaponry;

(b) these negotiations should also seek to restrict

to the extent consistent with United States national in

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terest the deployment of hazardous objects and materials, such as nuclear materials in outer space; and

(c) in pursuing agreement with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on antisatellite weapons, the President should agree to no provision that would in

any manner restrict the development and operation of the Space Shuttle or impede legitimate activities per

mitted under the SALT I ABM Treaty.

FEBRUARY 3 (legislative day, JANUARY 25), 1983

Mr. TSONGAS (for himself, Mr. HATFIELD, and Mr. HART) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

JOINT RESOLUTION

Calling for immediate negotiations for a ban on weapons of any kind in space.

Whereas the peaceful exploration of space has greatly benefited the development of the theoretical and applied sciences and the continued peaceful exploration of space offers and enormous potential for expanding the limits of our knowledge and providing additional benefits to the human race;

Whereas mankind's continued preoccupation with developing weapons and destruction already threatens the quality and existence of life on Earth as we know it;

Whereas the quality and existence of such life will face an even greater threat should the arms race be extended into space;

and