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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
08STATE17336	2008-02-21 05:55	2011-08-30 01:44	UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY	Secretary of State

VZCZCXRO3260
OO RUEHAP RUEHBC RUEHDT RUEHGI RUEHGR RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHMJ RUEHMR
RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO RUEHYG
DE RUEHC #7336/01 0520558
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210555Z FEB 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 8692
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0518
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA IMMEDIATE 2630
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0713
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 1022

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 017336 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PARM PNAT KTIA PINS TSPA TPHY ESA
CDG, PUOS, NASA, NATO, GM, AS, CA, UK, FR, JA, CH, UP, 
RS, IN, IT 
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL NOTIFICATION OF U.S. SATELLITE 
ENGAGEMENT 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an immediate action request. See 
paragraphs 2 and 3. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) GUIDANCE FOR BERLIN, BRASILIA, CANBERRA, 
LONDON, OTTAWA, PARIS, ROME, TOKYO, BEIJING, KYIV, 
MOSCOW, PRAGUE, COPENHAGEN, TEL AVIV, SANTIAGO, WARSAW, 
SEOUL, THE HAGUE, AND NEW DELHI, USNATO (FOR NORTH 
ATLANTIC COUNCIL), USUN (FOR THE SECRETARY GENERAL AND 
UN SECURITY COUNCIL), UNVIE (FOR THE U.S. DELEGATION TO 
THE PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE), AND GENEVA (FOR U.S. 
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE CONFERENCE ON 
DISARMAMENT):  Ambassador or other appropriate senior 
official in each host country or mission is instructed 
to make arrangements to deliver today the written 
notification, publicly released by the U.S. Department 
of Defense on February 20, in paragraph 4. Embassy Paris 
also should deliver notifications in paragraph 4 to the 
European Space Agency.  Embassies and missions are 
requested to provide confirmation of delivery and any 
reactions provided at the time of delivery.  Embassies 
also may draw upon, as appropriate, the official news 
releases that will be posted on the U.S. Department of 
Defense public website.  Any additional media questions 
should be referred to U.S. Department of Defense Public 
Affairs in Washington. 
 
¶3.  (U) GUIDANCE FOR ALL OTHER DIPLOMATIC POSTS: 
Ambassador or other appropriate senior official in each 
host country may -- at their discretion -- deliver the 
notification in paragraph 4 to their host government. 
Embassies and missions are requested to provide any 
significant reactions provided at the time of delivery. 
Embassies may additionally draw upon, as appropriate, 
the official news releases that will be posted on the 
U.S. Department of Defense public website. Any 
additional media questions should be referred to U.S. 
Department of Defense Public Affairs in Washington. 
 
¶4.  (U) BEGIN NOTIFICATION: 
 
A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors 
confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non- 
functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite 
which was in its final orbits before entering the 
earth's atmosphere. 
 
At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST on February 20 (0326 UTC 
on February 21), a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, USS Lake 
Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified  tactical Standard 
Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite  approximately 
247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific 
Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 miles 
per hour (27,400 kilometers per hour).  USS Decatur 
(DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) are also part of the 
task force. 
 
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate 
the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kilograms) of 
hydrazine, a  hazardous fuel which could pose a danger 
to people on earth, before it entered into earth's 
atmosphere.  Confirmation that the fuel tank has been 
fragmented should be available within 24 hours. 
 
Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at 
the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re- 
enter the earth's atmosphere immediately.  Nearly all of 
the debris will burn up on reentry within 24 to 48 hours 
and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days. 
 
DoD will conduct a press briefing at 7:00 a.m. EST (1200 
UTC) on February 21 to provide further information 
related to the operation.  The briefing can be viewed 
live on www.Defenselink.com. 
 
END NOTIFICATION. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Direct any inquires or feedback from host 
governments to ISN/MDSP (Mr. Richard Buenneke) at (202) 
647-3731 or SIPRNET buennekerh@state.sgov.gov and T (Mr. 
Tim Katsapis) at (202) 647-0072 or SIPRNET 
 
STATE 00017336  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (U) TRIPOLI MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
RICE

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Viewing cable 08STATE17336, INTERNATIONAL NOTIFICATION OF U.S. SATELLITE