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DE RUEHC #9721 1302013
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P R 092006Z MAY 08
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TO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0000
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RUEPINS/HQ BICE INTEL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS STATE 049721 
 
SIPDIS 
FOR ECON ERIC J. REUTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC FR KOMC
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN POST-SHIPMENT END USE CHECK ON 
SATELLITE COMPONENTS 
 
REF: A. SPACE NEWS 21 JUNE 2004: U.S. EXPORT 
        RESTRICTIONS HELP ALCATEL WIN CHINASAT9 
        HTTP://WWW.SPACE.COM/SPACENEWS/ 
     ¶B. SPACE NEWS 13 JUNE 2005: EUROPEAN SATELLITE 
        COMPONENT MAKER SAYS IT IS DROPPING U.S. 
        COMPONENTS BECAUSE OF ITAR 
     ¶C. SPACE NEWS 06 JULY 2007: CHINA LAUNCHES NEW 
        COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE 
     ¶D. EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY ITAR FREE SPACEBUS 4000B2 
        HTTP://TELECOM.ESA.INT/TELECOM/ 
     ¶E. WIKIPEDIA PAGE ON SPACEBUS 
        HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/SPACEBUS 
     ¶F. GUNTER'S SPACE PAGE HTTP://SPACE.SKYROCKET.DE/ 
 
¶1.  This is an action message.  See paragraphs 2-7. 
 
¶2.  The Department's Office of Defense Trade Controls 
Compliance (PM/DTCC) requests post assistance in conducting a 
post-shipment check regarding the export and use of satellite 
components.  Post is requested to complete this Blue Lantern 
check within 45 days.  Lack of response to a Blue Lantern 
check will affect pending and future licenses involving 
parties to this license. 
 
¶3.  Reason for request: the Directorate of Defense Trade 
Controls (DDTC), in accordance with the Arms Export Control 
Act (AECA) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations 
(ITAR), is charged with controlling the export of defense 
articles and defense services covered by the United States 
Munitions List (USML).  U.S.-origin commercial satellites, 
and military-grade satellite components, are ITAR-controlled 
and require a DDTC license for export.  USML commodities 
exported to one country cannot be transferred to another 
party or re-exported without express USG authorization.  The 
export of all USML commodities is prohibited to certain 
countries, such as Cuba, Iran, and North Korea.  This policy 
of export denial for ITAR-controlled items also applies to 
China. 
 
¶4.  Recent press reporting indicates that some European 
aerospace firms who do business with China feel unduly 
constrained by USG export restrictions on ITAR-controlled 
satellite components.  Commercial satellites that contain any 
ITAR-controlled components cannot be sold to China, nor can 
they be launched by China for other countries.  Consequently, 
certain European firms are advertising that they can now 
produce "ITAR-free" satellites, thereby eliminating USG 
export and re-transfer restrictions (Ref. A-D). 
 
¶5.  Three satellites built for China and declared ITAR-free 
are APStar 6 (launched 12 April 2005), ChinaSat 6B (launched 
05 July 2007), and ChinaSat 9 (expected launch May-June 
2008).  All three were built by primary contractor Thales 
Alenia Space, based on the Spacebus 4000C2 platform.  Within 
the 4000 series are also found classes B2, B3, C1, C3, and 
C4.  (Note: "Spacebus" is a trade name for a standardized 
satellite platform that originated with the French company 
Aerospatiale.  Aerospatiale eventually became Alcatel Space, 
then Alcatel Space merged with Alenia Spazio to form Alcatel 
Alenia Space in 2005.  Alcatel Alenia Space merged with 
Thales in 2007, thereby establishing Thales Alenia Space. 
Thales S.A., partly owned by the French government, is the 
parent company of Thales Alenia Space.  See Ref. E-F for 
further information about the Spacebus platform and specific 
commercial satellites that have utilized the successive 
Spacebus series.) 
 
¶6.  A search for "spacebus" in DDTC's licensing database 
found 56 approved licenses and Technical Assistance 
Agreements (TAA) dating from 1999 to 2008.  Listed below are 
most of the licenses which specified the Spacebus 4000 
series.  Only a few of these cases further identified a 
particular Spacebus 4000 class, namely, 4000B3, 4000C1, 
4000C3, and 4000C4 (see cases B, G, H, and K below).  In 
addition, several licenses approved during 2007 are for 
thousands of ITAR-controlled components for Spacebus 4000 
future programs which do not specify class or an end-user of 
the satellite.  Thus in light of these data, the Thales 
Alenia Space claim that the Spacebus 4000C2 platform utilized 
for the China satellites were actually ITAR-free will need to 
be substantiated for DDTC. 
 
¶7.  ACTION: Please visit the Foreign End User/Primary 
Contractor Thales Alenia Space.  Request that Thales Alenia 
Space provide post with copies of relevant documents 
regarding construction and launch of the APStar6, ChinaSat 
6B, and ChinaSat 9 satellites.  These documents should 
include technical specs; parts list including name, stock 
number, manufacturer, source, and country of origin.  Thales 
Alenia Space should be able to substantiate that the China 
satellites had no ITAR (see list of licenses and components 
in para 8), and should be able to identify which platforms do 
use ITAR components, and to which countries these have been 
exported.  END ACTION. 
 
FOREIGN END USER/PRIMARY CONTRACTOR: 
 
Thales Alenia Space 
45 rue de Villiers 
Neuilly-sur-Seine 
Cedex, Paris 92526 
FRANCE 
 
¶8.  License Information: 
 
A)  DDTC Case Number 05-801131 
 
APPROVED: 10/2000 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
22       Rad Hard Components for SMU Calculator 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
B)  DDTC Case Number 05-811379 
 
APPROVED: 01/2001 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
04       Non Return Moog Values for Propulsion System 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000C3 program. 
 
C)  DDTC Case Number 05-814283 
 
APPROVED: 03/2001 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
400      Rad Hard MOSFETs 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
D)  DDTC Case Number 05-815542 
 
APPROVED: 03/2001 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
176      Rad Hard Integrated Circuits 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
E)  DDTC Case Number 05-818566 
 
APPROVED: 06/2001 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
01       Lot Tech Data for Xenon Propulsion System 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
F)  DDTC Case Number 05-842740 
 
APPROVED: 03/2002 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
09       IRES-NE Sensors 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
G)  DDTC Case Number 05-843356 
 
APPROVED: 02/2002 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
02       Coarse Sun Sensors for Attitude System 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000B3 program. 
 
H)  DDTC Case Number 05-910432 
 
APPROVED: 02/2004 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
936      Rad Hard MOSFETs 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000C1 and 4000C3 programs. 
 
I)  DDTC Case Number 05-1001956 
 
APPROVED: 08/2006 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
250      GPO Connectors for Channel Amplifier 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
J)  DDTC Case Number 05-050014567 
 
APPROVED: 09/2006 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
08       Dow Corning Space Grade Encapsulant Kit 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
K)  DDTC Case Number 05-050034825 
 
APPROVED: 03/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
05       Helium Series Redundant Pressure Regulators 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000C4 program. 
 
L)  DDTC Case Number 05-050047951 
 
APPROVED: 06/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
300      Hermetic Connectors for Power Supply Equipment 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
M)  DDTC Case Number 05-050047970 
 
APPROVED: 06/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
290      Hermetic Connectors for Hybrid Sub-Assemblies 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
N)  DDTC Case Number 05-050049432 
 
APPROVED: 06/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
5,800    N-Channel Power MOSFETs for Power Control Units 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
O)  DDTC Case Number 05-050051930 
 
APPROVED: 06/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
1,235    Current Limiting Fuses 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
P)  DDTC Case Number 05-050055463 
 
APPROVED: 08/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
1,000    N-Channel MOSFETs for Power Control Units 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
Q)  DDTC Case Number 05-050067032 
 
APPROVED: 10/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
700      N-Channel MOSFETs for Power Control Units 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
R)  DDTC Case Number TAA 2660-07 
 
APPROVED: 11/2007 
 
COMMODITY: 
 
Technical Assistance Agreement for Testing of Nickel Hydrogen 
Batteries 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
S)  DDTC Case Number 05-050075053 
 
APPROVED: 11/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
105      High Reliability MOSFETs for DC/DC Converter Hybrids 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
T)  DDTC Case Number 05-050079133 
 
APPROVED: 12/2007 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
55       Connectors for Hybrid Sub-Assemblies 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
U)  DDTC Case Number 05-050080467 
 
APPROVED: 01/2008 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
4,100    N-Channel Power MOSFETs for Power Control Units 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program (future platforms). 
 
V)  DDTC Case Number 05-050091534 
 
APPROVED: 03/2008 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
05       Helium Pressure Regulators 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
W)  DDTC Case Number 05-050093091 
 
APPROVED: 03/2008 
 
QUANTITY/COMMODITY: 
 
10       FreeFlyer Software for Analysis of Orbital Dynamics 
 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: 
 
Spacebus 4000 program. 
 
¶9.  Please slug reply for PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR 
and include the words "Blue Lantern" in the subject line. 
POC on this case is Peter Sabatini, PM/DTCC, phone: 
202-663-2819; ClassNet email: sabtinipj@state.sgov.gov; 
OpenNet email: sabatinipj@state.gov.  The 2006 Blue Lantern 
Guide Book is available on OpenNet at 
http://fsi.state.gov/fsi/spas/default.asp?ID= 1588 
Department thanks Post for its assistance in this matter. 
RICE