GERMAN COMMENTS ON U.S. NATIONAL SPACE POLICY

S E C R E T BERLIN 003059

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/AGS
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 10/31/2007
TAGS: PARM GM
SUBJECT: GERMAN COMMENTS ON U.S. NATIONAL SPACE POLICY

REF: SECSTATE 167334

Classified By: Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs Robert F. Cekuta
, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Please see the action request in paragraph 9.


2. (S) Summary: Global Affairs officer briefed German
officials in Bonn on the U.S. National Space Policy October

16. Although the German officials appreciated the
information, they also expressed some reservations. In sum,
they contended that: 1) Germany, unlike the United States, is
open to a new Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space
(PAROS) treaty and to limiting the weaponization of space; 2)
the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, though preventing the
deployment of WMD in outer space, might be inadequate to
prevent the weaponization of space; 3) the U.S. National
Missile Defense (NMD) program might constitute weaponization
of space; 4) the USG might be overlooking the potential for a
space arms race with China; 5) the U.S. National Space
Policy's emphasis on U.S. leadership is not conducive to
promoting international partnerships; and 6) the United
States protects its domestic space industry at the expense of
partnerships with foreign entities. Lastly, the German
officials asked for responses to queries requesting the U.S.
stance on the accidental release of radioactivity in the
event of a failure of a nuclear-powered space vehicle and
regarding U.S. plans for the Global Earth Observation System
of Systems (GEOSS). End Summary.


3. (S) Global Affairs officer met Dr. Karl-Friedrich Nagel,
Office Director of the Space Program General Issues Division
in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi);
Dr. Klaus Keller, desk officer of BMWi's Space Program
General Issues Division; Jacob Stuebig, desk officer of the
BMWi's Space Program Projects and Applications Division; and
Marc Haese, International Cooperation officer in the German
Aerospace Center (DLR),at the BMWi in Bonn October 16.


4. (S) Nagel raised question about the reasons for the USG
opposition to a PAROS treaty; emboff responded drawing on
reftel points that the USG considers a new arms control
treaty for outer space unnecessary because there is no arms
race in space. Nagel also asked whether the USG foresees a
future arms race with China and therefore might want to
consider concluding a treaty to prevent such an eventuality.
He noted that Germany too favors guaranteed space access and
also said any weaponization would be a threat to the peaceful
use of space. In response to the point that the 1967 Outer
Space Treaty rendered any new treaties redundant, Nagel
acknowledged that although the treaty had prevented the
deployment of nuclear weapons in space, it would not
necessarily prevent weaponization of space. Heller asked
whether the U.S. NMD program amounts to a weaponization of
space, to which emboff noted that the NMD is purely defensive
and should not be considered as weaponization.


5. (S) The German Aerospace Center's International
Cooperation officer Marc Haese raised a question of whether
the U.S. space policy's emphasis on U.S. leadership in space
is the best basis for forming international partnerships.
Emboff noted the importance of partnerships in exploring
space and that Germany is one of the most important. Haese
and Heller argued, however, that the USG only values
partnerships out of self-interest. They said the United
States has not been interested in partnerships in situations
where Europe has different goals. For instance, they said
that the United States tends to focus on large endeavors,
such as manned missions to the Moon and Mars, while the
Europeans pursue more modest scientific missions, such as
probes of asteroids. Emboff noted the United States and
Europe can complement each other in joint missions, such as
with the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, in which NASA
provided the launch vehicle and the European Space Agency
(ESA) supplied the probe.


6. (S) The German officials also argued that the U.S. space
market is closed to foreign competition. Haese claimed
Germany has superior robotics and laser optical equipment,
for instance, but the USG is only willing to give contracts
to U.S. firms. Haese said Germany was willing to contribute
re-entry vehicles to international space projects, but that
the USG awarded a new contract to Boeing instead. Emboff
pointed out that the new U.S. space policy provides for using
commercial space capabilities and services when suitable for
USG requirements, including from foreign providers. When
Heller urged the United States to open its satellite market
to foreign competitors, emboff cited the new U.S. space
policy's commitment to the commercial sector and suggested
that Europeans could compete in it.


7. (S) Heller asked questions about the U.S. space policy's
entry on space nuclear power. He queried whether the USG had
considered altering the minimum threshold of radioactivity
released in the case of a launch mishap and said the German
Government would oppose the lowering of this threshold.


8. (S) Finally, Haese asked what the latest U.S. plans are
for partners in the proposed Global Earth Observation System
of Systems (GEOSS).


9. (U) Post would appreciate guidance to respond to the
queries raised in paragraphs 7 and 8.
KOENIG