JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY COMMENTS ON SATELLITE

UNCLAS TOKYO 000348 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES AND EAP/J E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA TSPL PREL JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY COMMENTS ON SATELLITE COLLISION REF: STATE 12948 This Message is Sensitive But Unclassified. Please Handle Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Econoff delivered points contained in ref to MOFA International Science Cooperation Division Principal Deputy Director Shigenobu Kobayashi February 13. Kobayashi appreciated the update on the collision between the U.S. Iridium and Russian Cosmos satellites and stressed MOFA's desire for more information on the causes of the incident as the investigation unfolds. He noted the large number of pieces of debris raises concern about the possible effect on the International Space Station (ISS),Japanese and other satellites in orbit, and the upcoming Space Shuttle launch. (Note: The next Space Shuttle flight, planned for February 22, will include a Japanese astronaut who will stay on the ISS for three to four months. Japan also has a $10 billion science laboratory permanently attached to the ISS. End Note). Kobayashi inquired as well how long the investigation will take and whether the Russian Cosmos satellite contained any nuclear material that could pose a hazard. ZUMWALT