Crypto, satellites, & China

[paul@poboy.b17c.ingr.com (Paul Robichaux)]

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A story in the 3/14/94 issue of _Aviation Week_ reports that Hughes
and Martin Marietta have satisfied the State Department and will now
be able to launch the Optus B3 comsat. All the quotes below are from
the article; it didn't have any detail on the cryptostuff.

State had held up the launch because the Optus B3 payload included a
"sensitive decryption chip". The USG made trade with China subject to
the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) after China was suspected
of selling missiles to Pakistan.

Hughes agreed to remove the chip, which "guards the satellite's
steering commands"; once removed, State lifted the export restriction.

"By removing the chip, authority for approving the launch was shifted
to the Commerce Dept. from an interagency review commission headed by
the State Dept. that had far less leeway to act."

I never knew that encryption fell under MTCR in addition to ITAR.
Presumably any crypto hardware or software which can be used to
protect missile or satellite telemetry or commanding can be
restricted.

If anyone has more details on the MTCR and its application, I'd love
to hear it.

- -Paul Robichaux

- -- 
Paul Robichaux, KD4JZG      | Out the 10Base-T port, through the router, 
perobich@ingr.com           | over the leased line, off the bridge, past
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