VZCZCXRO1917
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRL #0188 0441533
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131533Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3314
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2014
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0704
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1439
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS BERLIN 000188 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPA PREL TSPL GM
SUBJECT: GERMAN CONCERNS ABOUT INFO SHARING IN THE LEAD-UP 
TO THE SATELLITE COLLISION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 12948 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraphs 4 
and 5. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Political and Global Affairs officers delivered Ref 
points simultaneously to interlocutors at the Ministries of 
Foreign Affairs and Economics on February 12.  While 
expressing appreciation for receipt of the information, 
contacts noted that the collision of the Russian and Iridium 
satellites again provide a strong incentive to develop a code 
of conduct for non-military use of space. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On February 13, GA Officer received a call from Mr. 
Joachim Marschall, MFA Office Director for International 
Research, Technology, and Space Policy (Division 405). 
Marschall said he will be briefing Foreign Minister 
Steinmeier (possibly today) on the satellite collision.  He 
is interested in more information on the incident and USG 
mechanisms to inform their foreign partners on space 
situational awareness activities. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Specifically, Herr Marschall would like to know:  A) 
What is the present USG policy on space surveillance and 
mechanisms for informing USG partners (Germany)?  B) How is 
this policy institutionalized within the USG?  C) Is this 
policy centralized in the Executive branch and then 
distributed?  D) Which USG entity has primary responsibility 
on informing global partners on incidents such as the 
satellite collision or policy updates?  NOTE: Post believes 
Marschall was hinting that Germany, or more specifically the 
MFA, was not informed of this incident before it happened 
while assuming that the USG had been tracking this for some 
time. END NOTE. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Action Request: Post would appreciate any 
information State can provide to offer greater transparency 
on this situation as soon as possible.  Please contact 
officers Shane Petersen, Ken Kero, or Donald Brown who will 
follow up with the USG response. 
 
Koenig