principles embodied in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, as are the claims of the Bogota nations* to segments of the geostationary orbit. It is recognized that as satellite technology advances, the present regulatory regime may not be sufficient to equitably distribute the benefits derived from use of this orbit. Many legal experts are of the opinion that in the near future (apparently well before the SPS is operational) , a new agreement for the rational use of the geostationary orbit will be negotiated. The UNCOPUOS is expected to assume an expanded role in this matter. 2. Organizational Considerations10 The choice of a model upon which to base an SPS organization partly depends on how national in character SPS development would be. COMSAT has been identified as a likely model for a national endeavor. INTELSAT has been cited as an operating model for realizing the global potential of satellite power technology. An appreciation of the difficulties encountered in establishing these and other international organizations would be helpful in identifying some of the preconditions that would have to be satisfied before SPS development could be internationalized. Consequently, international organizations—COMSAT, INTELSAT, INMARSAT, and IEA—have been investigated with the purpose of identifying: (1) objectives and structure of each organization; (2) how multinational participation and decision making has been accomplished; and (3) the implications of this experience for the SPS. During the time that an SPS program is a U.S. undertaking, the federal government would have the dominant role in financing and controlling it. The COMSAT experience provides an analogous situation, especially in the event that a debate ensues over the extent to which the private sector participates in SPS decision making. The COMSAT debate in Congress centered around the balance of power between private and public sector voting blocs. Also debated was the effect this power balance would have on decisions affecting national objectives and eventual foreign participation in the satellite communications *The following are the eight nations traversed by the equator: Brazil, Colombia, Congo, Ecuador, Indonesia, Keyna, Uganda, and Zaire.
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