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States, any international convention would hamper Air Force missions and research. Finally, he advised:

In this formative stage, we believe the practice of nations will create a more realistic precedent for future conduct in outer space than formulation at this time of international rules which could not possibly be grounded in actual practices and experience, but only on the abstract theories of each country’s statesmen and jurists. The value of actual practice is especially important so long as the United States has the capability of leading the way in establishing the precedent.^[1]

Maj Hamilton DeSaussure and Maj Gen Albert M. Kuhfeld. DeSaussure prepared key position papers for the Air Force JAG office in support of the Air Force’s position in the early debates about outer space. General Kuhfeld later became The Judge Advocate General of the Air Force and was a leading advocate of the Air Force taking a proactive posture in attempting to shape international law as it related to outer space.

Colonel Norton’s early pronouncement of an Air Force position opposing Cooper’s efforts had been analyzed and written by Maj

1. Col Paul W. Norton to Maj Gen Richard C. Lindsay, memorandum, subject: Growing Interest in Possible International Convention on Use of “Outer Space” by Nations, 9 May 1956.