US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI2607

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 002607 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2015 
TAGS: ETTC, TSPA, KNNP, KSCA, IN, NSSP 
SUBJECT: INDIA SPACE COOPERATION AGENDA FOR FM SING'S VISIT 
 
REF: A. NEW DELHI 1690 
     B. STATE 4483 
     C. 2004 NEW DELHI 6217 
 
Classified By: SCIENCE COUNSELOR MARCO DI CAPUA, REASON 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (U) This is an action request cable see paragraph 8. 
 
2.  (SBU) In preparation for the visit of the Foreign 
Minister, Science Counselor talked with ISRO Scientific 
Secretary, V Sundararmiah, who will be accompanying the 
 
SIPDIS 
Foreign Minister to Washington to find out what maybe on 
ISRO's agenda for the Washington meetings.  Sundararmiah will 
travel to Washington a day before the Minister to meet with 
US counterparts.  He told Science Counselor that the ideas 
for Space cooperation that ISRO will bring to the table are: 
 
- The LANDSAT Continuation Mission - For this mission, ISRO 
seeks a contract from NOAA or the National 
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA, formerly known as NIMA) 
to build a satellite (which would not contain US components) 
and launch it with the PSLV Launcher.   Such a satellite 
would replace the LANDSAT Satellite, which failed in orbit. 
In India's mind, the demise of LANDSAT leaves a substantial 
gap in the needs of the NGA. 
 
- Develop a direct linkage with NASA Programs - Such a 
linkage would allow ISRO to collaborate with NASA in 
scientific missions without the need to continually undergo a 
lengthy approval process to get collaborations under way. 
 
- Resolve the TAA issue for the Applied Physics Laboratory 
mini-SAR instrument for the Chandrayann Moon Mission. 
 
Mini-SAR TAA 
------------ 
 
3.  (SBU) Science Counselor reiterated to Sundararmiah the 
points made in State 44853 regarding the TAA as an agreement 
between APL and the US Government that grants export 
authorization to a US person that wishes to engage in 
technical cooperation with a foreign person.  Science 
Counselor reiterated that ISRO's signature in the document 
acknowledges the obligations that APL is undertaking with the 
US Government in regard to the cooperation between APL and 
ISRO. 
 
4.  (SBU) Sundararmiah replied that ISRO views the TAA 
document in a different light.  In ISRO's view, by signing 
the agreement, ISRO is becoming part of an agreement, 
provisions of which it objects to. 
 
MEA Frustration with ISRO 
------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Science Counselor and Political Counselor met MEA 
Joint Secretary US and Canada, Dr. S. Jaishankar, on April 5 
to go over the challenges that obtaining ISRO approval of the 
mini-SAR TAA represents.  Embassy shared with Jaishankar 
State 44853 as a non-paper.  Science Counselor shared with 
Jaishankar ISRO objections as spelled out in paragraph 4 
above.  Jaishankar expressed frustration with ISRO's approach 
to dealing with necessary paperwork.  Science Counselor 
passed onto Jaishankar the same version of the TAA he emailed 
to the India desk on 24 March 2005.  Jaishankar offered to 
get in touch with ISRO to get ISRO to understand the need to 
make some progress on the TAA. 
 
6.  (C) Following-up with the MEA meeting, MEA Joint 
Secretary Jaishankar called Sundararmiah at ISRO requesting 
 
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that ISRO demonstrate some flexibility to move the mini-SAR 
TAA forward. 
 
7.  (SBU) Following Jaishankar's entreaties to ISRO, Science 
Counselor called ISRO Scientific Secretary Sundararmiah. 
Sundararmiah made a face-saving motion requesting that the US 
return to ISRO the mini-SAR TAA marked-up text so that ISRO 
can look it over before Sundararmiah departs for the United 
States.  Sundararmiah said that a negotiable text is 
essential so that Sundararmiah can propose final text in 
Washington on April 12th. 
 
8.  (SBU) Action Request:  Mission requests Department return 
mini-SAR TAA marked-up text to ISRO in advance of 
Sundararmiah's departure to the United States. 
MULFORD