USSR ACTED IRRESPONSIBLY IN SATELLITE INCIDENT

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06771764
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: March 16, 2020
• Case Number: F-2018-02723
• Publication Date: January 26, 1978

Approved for Release: 2019/01/28 C06771764
PERSONS. THEY ARE PRESUMED TO BE CONNECI ED AIN I HIS
MOVEMENT.
26 JAN 104 OZ SSG/TM
1912�Ea5
0 FaIS i) FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Lu
LT FRG PAPER: USSR ACTED IRRESPONSIBLY IN SATELLITE INCIDENT
DW2 6 0955 Y FRANKFURT FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINL IN GERMAN 26
< JAN 78 P 1 OW
o (ARTICLE BY "G-nr : IRRESPONSIBLE")
(TEXT) THE INDIANS VD ESKIMOS AT GREAT SLAVE LAKE 1J
NORTHWEST CANADA SAM THE SOVIET SATELLITE BUiN ANL) FALL TO THE
o EARTH IN GLOWING PARTICLES AS IF IT WERE "A FLOWER OF FIRE." iHE
LU TOWN YELLOWKNIFE WAS SPARED A DISASTER.. THE DEi3RIS OF THE
u_ SATELLITE--AS FAR AS IT GOT Ti-ROUGH THE ATMOSPHERIC VOYAGE--HIT
AN UNPOPULATED AREA.
(i)
ct BURNING UP, HOWEVER, DOES NOT MEAN DISAPPEARING. INE.HHER
MATERIAL. NOR ENERGY GETS LOST IN NATURE. 'BURNING UP MEANS
CONTAMINATING THE ATMOSPHERE. THIS cONTAMINATION AS SUPPOSED
TO BE ENDED WITH THE FIRST TEST BAN AGREEMENT OF 190. FUR YEARS
AFTER THE ATMOSPHERIC TEST ExPLOSIONS, THE ',IND IAS BLOwING THE DUSi
AROUND THE GLOBE BEFORE THE PARTICLES RAINED DUHN GRADUALLY. YoU
O CANNOT ACCUSE THE SOVIET UNION OF HAVING BROKEN THAI TNEA1 Y. thUi
1-1-1 USING REACTORS IN SATELLITES CANNOT dE I AL:cOriti THE PUiPuSE
OF THE TREATY. SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEcUME KNOWN wHICH COULD
� NOLR1SH THE SUSPICION THAT THE SATELLITE cAtirt ILL/ A 61G Lu AL)
OF ENRICHED URANIUM FOR OTHER Puieost:s THAN THE DECLARED AIm oF
< PRODUCING ELECTRIC ENERGY FOR ITS RADAR EQUIPMENT. NO hi
�J INDICATE THAT THIS LOAD OAS A NWLE Art v.EAPUN ST ATIuN IN LA.I1
Ci SPACE�WHICH IS PROHIBITED BY THE 19 76 uUl& SPACE TREATY.
THIS AGREEMENT STIPULATES,- HOWEvER, THAT EAL:h1 STATE IS LIABLL
FOR ANY �DAMAGE CAUSED IN ANOTHER SA 1E BY AN LAIJEC:T IT .I1AS
n LAUNCHED INTO SPACE. VIEWED FROM IHIS ANGLE THE. SOVIET
w BEHAVIOR IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE. MOScOo HAD KNOwN FUR SEVERAL "C.LKS
LT_ THAT IT HAD LOST CONTROL OF THE SATELLIIE. THE AMERICANS
� NOTICED THIS IN EARLY DECEMBER. THEY INQUIRED IN EARLY JANUAAY.
v'e.) THE SOVIET UNION RELUCTANTLY GAVE 'Num. ANSwERS, BUT ONLY
< TO WASHINGTON, NOT TO THE MANY COUNTRIES WHICH HERE AFFEcTED.
_J THESE WERE ALERTED ONLY BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, FOR DAYS ALL
O THESE GOVERNMENTS HAD BEEN ON SEatET ATOMIC-ACCIDENT ALERT
AND HAD CALCULATED THE COURSE OF THE SATELLITE. IN THE END THEY
WERE LUCKY. THE GOVERNMENTS CANNOT BE BLAMED FOR TRYING 10
PREVENT PUBLIC PANIC AND KEEPING SILENT FOR THIS REASON. BUf
T SOVIET UNION WILL NOT BE PARDONED Furi NOT CONVEYING THE
WAR INC ON ITS OWN AND FOR PERHAPS EVEN HOPING THAT NW:11JOY r4UULU
NO CE ANYTHING--THUS RISKING A MISHAP TAKING ITS OWN COURSE
LI DOOM. A GREAT POWER ACTED IRRESPONSIBLY.
CLASSIFIED WORK SHEET
-
26 JAN 111Z SSG/TN
Approved for Release: 2019/01/28 C06771764