GERMANY NOTIFIED OF COLLISION RISK TO TUBSAT-A

UNCLAS BERLIN 000005 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/CE PETER SCHROEDER STATE FOR ISN/MDSP DICK BUENNEKE PARIS FOR NASA BILL BERRY USSTRATCOM FOR JSPOC - VANDENBERG AFB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA PARM PREL NASA IT FR GM SUBJECT: GERMANY NOTIFIED OF COLLISION RISK TO TUBSAT-A REF: A. EMAIL USSTRATCOM BATTLE WATCH COMMANDER - PETERSEN ON 01/03/2010 ¶B. EMAIL D. BUENNEKE - PETERSEN ON 01/03/2010 ¶C. ROME 004 ¶1. (U) Per refs A and B, Econoff notified Dr. Udo Renner of the Technical University in Berlin (TU Berlin),TUBSAT-A Project Manager, of the January 10 collision risk posed by debris from the Russian COSMOS 2251 satellite. Dr. Renner was very appreciative of the notification and was previously unaware of the collision risk. He said that TUBSAT-A is almost 20 years old and inoperative, and was therefore not concerned about any resultant damage to the satellite. Dr. Renner expressed interest in how this situation unfolds asked to be kept informed of future developments. In addition to Dr. Renner, Econoff sent email notifications to Joachim von Marschall, MFA Head of Division for Research and Technology Policy, and Dr. Thorsten Nix, of the German Space Agency's (DLR) Office for International Cooperation. ¶2. (U) Dr. Renner updated his contact information as follows (Note: His email address has changed from the ref B listing. End Note): Prof. Dr.-Ing Udo Renner TU Berlin Institute for Aerospace Technology Telephone: 49 030 314-22308 E-Mail: Udo.Renner@ilr.tu-berlin.de ABOUT TUBSAT-A -------------- ¶3. (U) According to the NASA/JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, the Technical University of Berlin Satellite A (TUBSAT-A) was the first micro-satellite (35 kg) built by the Institute for Aerospace (ILR) at the TU Berlin, and was used as a test platform for communications and attitude control systems. TUBSAT-A was launched into low-earth orbit (LEO) on 6/17/91 aboard an Ariane 4 rocket and has since ceased operation, according to Renner. During its operational lifetime, the cube-shaped satellite was an important communications tool for Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. Since TUBSAT-A, ILR TU Berlin has launched five additional TUBSATs, of which four are still in active operation. DELAWIE