BEPPO SAX FALLING DOWN

UNCLAS ROME 001105

SIPDIS


FOR OES/SAT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TSPA IT
SUBJECT: BEPPO SAX FALLING DOWN



1. FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A NOTE VERBALE RECEIVED
MARCH 13 FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.


2. BEGIN TEXT:
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ITALY PRESENTS ITS
COMPLIMENTS TO THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES AND HAS
THE HONOR TO INFORM ON THE FOLLOWING.

ON APRIL 30, 2002, AT THE END OF ITS OPERATIVE LIFE,
THE ITALIAN SATELLITE BEPPO-SAX LAUNCHED IN 1996 FOR
SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES BY THE ITALIAN SPACE AGENCY (ASI),
HAD TO BE SWITCHED OFF.

BEPPO-SAX WILL PROGRESSIVELY LOSE ALTITUDE AND
DISINTEGRATE IN ITS REENTRY THROUGH LOW LAYERS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE, BETWEEN APRIL 25 AND JUNE 13, 2003, WITHIN
A STRIP (+/-4 DEGREES) FROM MINUS 4 TO PLUS 4 DEGREES
OF LATITUDE ACROSS THE EQUATOR.

IN SPITE OF THE DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT AGAINST THE
ATMOSPHERE, SOME DEBRIS WILL MOST LIKELY REACH THE
EARTH SURFACE.

FOR THE EVENT, THE FOLLOWING TEMPORARY MISSION
STRUCTURE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AT THE PRESIDENZA DEL
CONSIGLIO:

PRESIDENZA DEL CONSIGLIO DEI MINISTRI
DIPARTIMENTO DELLA PROTEZIONE CIVILE
VIA ULPIANO, 11
00193 ROMA
STRUTTURA TEMPORANEA DI MISSIONE

H. 8.00-20.00: TEL. 0039 06 6804333251 - 0039 06
68043257 - 0039 06 68043253
TEL: SALA OPERATIVA H.24: 0039 06 68202314 - 0039 06
68897689 FAX 0039 06 68897758
E-MAIL: BEPPOSAX@PROTEZIONECIVILE.IT

SINCE LAST DECEMBER NATIONS LISTED BELOW HAVE BEEN
WARNED BY COMPETENT ITALIAN EMBASSIES. BEING
POTENTIALLY AFFECTED BY THE REENTRY CONSEQUENCES, THEY
HAVE BEEN INVITED TO DESIGNATE A NATIONAL "FOCAL POINT"
FOR ACTIVATING AN ADEQUATE INFORMATION FLOW ON THE
SATELLITE'S DECAY AND COORDINATING POTENTIAL CIVIL
PROTECTION ACTIVITIES.

- AFRICA: BURUNDI, CAMEROON, CENTRAL AFRICAN
REPUBLIC, CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO,
EQUATORIAL GUINEA, ETHIOPIA, GABON, KENYA, RWANDA, SAO
TOME AND PRINCIPE, SEYCHELLES, SOMALIA, SUDAN,
TANZANIA, UGANDA. CAP PALMAS, AT THE BORDER BETWEEN
LIBERIA AND COTE D'IVOIRE, AND THE NIGER RIVER DELTA,
IN NIGERIA, ARE ALSO SKIMMED BY THE LIMITING NORTHERN
LATITUDE;

- ASIA: BRUNEI, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, MALDIVES,
SINGAPORE;

- OCEANIA: BAKER ISLAND (USA),FEDERATED STATES OF
MICRONESIA, HOWLAND ISLAND (USA),JARVIS ISLAND (USA),
KIRIBATI, MARSHALL ISLANDS, NAURU, PALAU, PAPUA NEW
GUINEA;

- SOUTH AMERICA: BRAZIL, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, FRENCH
GUIANA, GUYANA, PERU, SURINAME, AND VENEZUELA.

AT THIS MOMENT, ONLY CAMEROON, EQUATORIAL GUINEA,
UGANDA, SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA,
SINGAPORE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, KIRIBATI, BRAZIL, FRENCH
GUIANA AND VENEZUELA HAVE NOMINATED THEIR FOCAL POINTS
AND COMMUNICATED RELATED TELEPHONE NUMBERS, FAXES AND E-
MAIL ADDRESSES, ALLOWING ACTIVATION OF PROPER LINKS
WITH THE ITALIAN SPACE AGENCY AND DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
PROTECTION.

IN CASE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NOT PROVIDED THEIR FOCAL
POINTS YET DO NOT REPORT REQUESTED DATA IN SHORT TIME
TO THE ABOVE MENTIONED ADDRESS, THE TEMPORARY MISSION
STRUCTURE WILL ACTIVATE THE UNITED NATION OFFICES
OPERATING ON THOSE NATIONS TERRITORIES, AS IT HAS
ALREADY BEEN DONE FOR SOMALIA.

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ITALY, LOOKING
FORWARD A POSSIBLY QUICK ANSWER, AVAILS ITSELF OF THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW TO THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED
STATES THE ASSURANCES OF ITS HIGHEST CONSIDERATION.
END TEXT.

SEMBLER

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2003ROME01105 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED