Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME3036
2002-06-20 17:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

TOUR D'HORIZON WITH ASI PRESIDENT VETRELLA

Tags:  KTIA TSPA IT 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 003036 

SIPDIS

OES/SAT FOR BRAIBANTI, KARNER, OSTP FOR BRETT ALEXANDER,
NASA FOR JOHN SCHUMACHER, PARIS FOR NASA/FELDSTEIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIA TSPA TSPA IT ITKTIA
SUBJECT: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH ASI PRESIDENT VETRELLA


UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 03036 01 OF 02 201700Z
REF: STATE 104344

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 003036

SIPDIS

OES/SAT FOR BRAIBANTI, KARNER, OSTP FOR BRETT ALEXANDER,
NASA FOR JOHN SCHUMACHER, PARIS FOR NASA/FELDSTEIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIA TSPA TSPA ITALY'>IT ITKTIA
SUBJECT: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH ASI PRESIDENT VETRELLA


UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 03036 01 OF 02 201700Z
REF: STATE 104344


1. SUMMARY: ESTOFFS MET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN
SPACE AGENCY (ASI),PROFESSOR SERGIO VETRELLA, ON JUNE 6,

2002. VETRELLA PROVIDED UPDATES ON GALILEO, ITALIAN SPACE
PLAN, COSMO SKYMED, AND THE BIDDING PROCESS FOR THE AGILE
LAUNCHER. IN PARTICULAR, HE STRESSED THAT ALL EXISTING
COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES WITH NASA WERE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.
HE ALSO AGREED IN PRINCIPLE FOR ASI TO PARTICIPATE IN A
BILATERAL PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROJECT TO COINCIDE WITH THE
CENTENARY OF THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS. AS A
COURTESY, ESTOFFS ALSO BRIEFED VETRELLA ON REFTEL USG
RESPONSE TO THE EUROPEAN REQUEST FOR A GOVERNMENT-LEVEL
MEETING ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS). END
SUMMARY.

--------------
GALILEO
--------------


2. ESTOFFS INQUIRED ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE GALILEO GLOBAL
NAVIGATIONAL SATELLITE SYSTEM PROGRAM. VETRELLA HAD RECENTLY
RETURNED FROM AN EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY (ESA) MEETING IN PARIS
ON GALILEO. ACCORDING TO VETRELLA, THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
(EC) AND ESA HAVE NOT YET REACHED AN AGREEMENT OF A DIVISION
OF LABOR AND RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE DESIGN PHASE OF GALILEO.
WITHOUT THIS AGREEMENT, THE EC AND ESA WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
BEGIN COOPERATION TO DEVELOP GALILEO AS A JOINT UNDERTAKING.
ONCE THIS AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED, VETRELLA ESTIMATED THAT
IT WILL TAKE A YEAR AND A HALF TO ESTABLISH THE TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS FOR GALILEO. DURING THIS PROCESS, VETRELLA
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 03036 01 OF 02 201700Z
EXPECTS THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO DEFINE FROM A TECHNICAL
POINT OF VIEW HOW GALILEO COULD BE FULLY INTEGRATED WITH GPS
AND GLONASS. BUT THE LEVEL OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN THESE
SYSTEMS WILL BE ULTIMATELY SUBJECT TO A POLITICAL DECISION
WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU). VETRELLA CLAIMED THAT THERE
IS NO SUPPORT IN ITALY FOR A "NON-OPTIMIZED" SOLUTION. HE
DEFINED AN "OPTIMAL" SOLUTION AS ONE THAT ACHIEVED A
HIGH-LEVEL OF INTEGRATION WITH GPS AND GLONASS.

--------------
ITALIAN SPACE PLAN
--------------


3. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE ITALIAN SPACE PLAN,
VETRELLA STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE MINISTRY OF

UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS (MUIR) FOR APPROVAL.
AN INTERMINISTERIAL COUNCIL WILL EXAMINE THE PLAN AND WILL
GIVE THE MINISTER OF UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS A
RECOMMENDATION. ONCE THIS REVIEW PROCESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED,
IT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT FOR INCLUSION IN THE
BUDGET. HE EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD BE PUBLISHED AS LAW BY
MID-JULY 2002. ONCE APPROVED THE SPACE PLAN WILL COVER ASI
ACTIVITIES FOR THE 2003-2005 PERIOD. HE STRESSED THAT ALL
COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES WITH NASA ARE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.
IN PARTICULAR, VETRELLA NOTED THAT THE ITALIAN COMMITMENTS TO
THE SWIFT PROGRAM AND ISS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. IN
DESCRIBING THE CHANGES HE MADE TO THE DRAFT SPACE PLAN THAT
HAD BEEN COMPLETED AT THE TIME OF HIS ARRIVAL AT ASI,
VETRELLA STATED THAT HE HAD TO RE-PRIORITIZE ASI OBJECTIVES
AND LIMIT FUTURE PROJECTS IN ORDER TO STAY WITHIN BUDGETARY
CONSTRAINTS ESTABLISHED BY THE NEW CENTER-RIGHT GOVERNMENT.
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 ROME 03036 01 OF 02 201700Z

--------------
COSMO SKYMED
--------------


4. ACCORDING TO VETRELLA, THE DIVISION OF LABOR FOR COSMO
SKYMED PROJECT IS STILL UNDER DISCUSSION AMONG THE ITALIANS,
FRENCH AND GERMANS. HE OFFERED TO PROVIDE THE MISSION WITH A
COPY OF ASI'S IN-HOUSE STATUS REPORT ON COSMO SKYMED.

--------------
AGILE LAUNCHER
--------------


5. ESTOFFS ASKED VETRELLA TO CONFIRM THAT THE TENDER FOR THE
LAUNCHER FOR THE AGILE SCIENTIFIC SATELLITE HAD BEEN
WITHDRAWN BY ASI. TWO US FIRMS ARE COMPETING TO PROVIDE THE
LAUNCHER FOR AGILE AS WELL AS ARIANE AND A RUSSIAN COMPANY,
AND MISSION HAS PERFORMED SOME ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE US
COMPETITORS. VETRELLA CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD WITHDRAWN THE
BID PACKAGE BECAUSE HE DID NOT FEEL THAT THE BID PROCESS WAS
BEING HANDLED PROPERLY. HE INTENDS TO OFFER ANOTHER TENDER

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8805

PAGE 01 ROME 03036 02 OF 02 201701Z
ACTION L-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00
WHA-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 UTED-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00
OES-01 PM-00 ACE-00 SS-00 TEST-00 T-00 PMB-00
LBA-00 SAS-00 /003W
-------------- C02DDD 201701Z /38
R 201721Z JUN 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4363
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL NAPLES
NASA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 003036

SIPDIS

OES/SAT FOR BRAIBANTI, KARNER, OSTP FOR BRETT ALEXANDER,
NASA FOR JOHN SCHUMACHER, PARIS FOR NASA/FELDSTEIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIA TSPA TSPA IT ITKTIA
SUBJECT: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH ASI PRESIDENT VETRELLA

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 03036 02 OF 02 201701Z
ONCE THE BID PROCESS MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE HAS BEEN
REORGANIZED.

--------------
FIRST FLIGHT CENTENARY
--------------


6. SCICOUNS REQUESTED ASI'S COOPERATION IN A POTENTIAL
BILATERAL PROGRAM TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENARY OF THE WRIGHT
BROTHERS FIRST FLIGHT IN NOVEMBER 2002. HE BRIEFED VETRELLA
ON ONGOING INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE MISSION AND THE
DIRECTOR OF THE ITALIAN AEROSPACE MUSEUM IN NAPLES. MISSION
BELIEVES THAT THIS EVENT WOULD PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT
OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
ATLANTIC OF THE RICH HISTORY OF AEROSPACE COOPERATION BETWEEN
ITALY AND THE UNITED STATES. MISSION WILL EXPLORE THE
POSSIBILITY OF JOINT PROGRAM BETWEEN THE NAPLES CENTER AND
THE NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM AND THE US AIR FORCE
MUSEUM. MISSION INTENDS TO INVITE A SHUTTLE CREW TO
PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT. VETRELLA AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO
ASI PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT. EST SECTION WILL CONTINUE TO
DISCUSS THIS PROJECT WITH OUR ASI CONTACTS.

--------------
ISS GOVERNMENT-LEVEL MEETING
--------------


7. AS A COURTESY, ESTOFFS BRIEFED VETRELLA ON THE USG
RESPONSE TO THE EUROPEAN REQUEST FOR A GOVERNMENT-LEVEL
MEETING IN WASHINGTON ON THE FUTURE OF ISS. VETRELLA WAS NOT
AWARE THAT THE REQUEST HAD BEEN MADE AND WAS LARGELY
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 03036 02 OF 02 201701Z
DISMISSIVE OF IT. HE HAS NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE POLITICAL
AND BUDGETARY FACTORS IMPINGING ON USG ISS POLICY. SINCE THE
MEETING CAN NOT BE HELD IN LATE JUNE 2002, VETRELLA BELIEVES
THAT A MEETING WILL PROBABLY NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL AUTUMN 2002
DUE TO THE GERMAN ELECTIONS. ALSO, HE THINKS THAT IT IS
HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT ANY SUBSTANTIVE MULTILATERAL DECISION ON
ISS WILL TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
SEMBLER

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002ROME03036 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED