VZCZCXRO0942
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRL #0005 0051411
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051411Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6185
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1131
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2636
RUEHRL/USDAO BERLIN GE
RUCUSTR/USSTRATCOM OFFUTT AFB NE
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