VZCZCXRO9694
OO RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #1303 2802107
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 062107Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8581
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0434
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 2224
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA PRIORITY 0005 S E C R E T OTTAWA 001303 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ISN/MDSP AND OES/SAT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2018 
TAGS:        
SUBJECT: (S) CANADA CONSIDERING SPACE LAUNCH ALTERNATIVES 
DUE TO RUSSIA'S INVASION OF GEORGIA 
 
Classified By: Pol/Mil Officer Brett Mattei, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 1.  (U) This is an action request -- see para 4. 
 
 2.  (S/RelCan) Department of Foreign Affairs and 
International Trade (DFAIT) Senior Advisor for 
Non-Proliferation Phillip Baines raised U.S.-India safeguards 
on October 3, asking whether the United States intends to 
broaden its bilateral safeguards to permit satellite launches 
from India.  Baines noted that he was aware of a safeguards 
agreement "along these lines" among the U.S., Russia and 
Kazakhstan.  Further, he explained, Department of National 
Defence (DND) Project SAPPHIRE program managers had planned 
to launch their system into orbit via Russian spacecraft in 
late 2009 or early 2010, but due to the Russian invasion of 
Georgia Canada now is interested in looking elsewhere for 
launch services. 
 
 3.  (SBU) According to open source literature, when it is 
deployed, Project SAPPHIRE will use a single satellite-borne 
electro-optical sensor to provide information on the 
whereabouts of satellites and orbiting space debris in 
medium-to-high earth orbits. 
 
 4.  (U)  Embassy requests Department officials prepare to 
engage Baines on issue raised in para 2 when he calls on 
ISN/MDSP and OES/SAT on October 10. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS