Talking Points Delivered: CNSA Response to Satellite

UNCLAS BEIJING 000381 STATE FOR OES/SAT, EAP/CM, ISN/MDSP AND T NASA/OFFICE OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS FOR A/A O'BRIEN TOKYO FOR NASA ATTACHE TILMAN STATE PASS TO NSC SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA TSPL TPHY PREL KSCA CH SUBJECT: Talking Points Delivered: CNSA Response to Satellite Collision Talking Points REF: STATE 12948 ¶1. (SBU) On February 13, ESTHOFF conveyed points in REFTEL regarding the collision of a U.S. and Russian satellite and discussed the issue directly by phone with Mr. XU Yansong of the China National Space Agency's (CNSA) International Cooperation Department. Post also transmitted points in writing to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Americas Division. ¶2. (SBU) In response to delivered points, CNSA's Xu said that China would work through the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) to better understand the risk to China's space assets and future manned space missions. [NOTE: The IADC is an international governmental forum for coordinating issues associated with man-made debris in space. The Committee consists of eleven national space agencies, including those of the U.S., Russia, and China. End Note] Xu also said that China currently chairs the IADC Working Group on Protection, noting that the Chinese Academy of Sciences is conducting research on high-strength Aluminum alloys designed to shield satellites against small debris impacts. ¶3. (SBU) ESTHOFF asked if China's own space surveillance network had detected the collision or if China was developing its own debris assessment. Xu stated he did not know if China had detected the event or if China's Purple Mountain Observatory--a leading facility in China's space surveillance network--was focusing its resources on tracking the debris. [NOTE: China's space surveillance network is operated by the military and CNSA, a primarily civilian organization, is probably not privy to this information. End note] ¶4. (U) Post will report any additional information received from CNSA and/or MFA. PICCUTA