Partnership in the stars ― Brasil-Ucrânia stamp space agreement

BRASIL-UCRÂNIA

Up to 2010, company binacional intends to put in orbit satellite with the help from ukrainian rocket, starting from base in Maranhão. Joint project foresees the new releases modern complex construction

After nine years of wait, the cooperation Brazil-Ucrânia in the space area starts to to be formalize. The company binacional Alcântara Cyclone Space (ACS), created in 2003 to commercialize new releases from Alcântara's Base, in Maranhão, announced that it will put a satellite in orbit using a rocket Cyclone 4. The forecast belongs to that that occurs up to 2010. "It will be a qualification shot (first send to the space), carrying the scientific satellite Sleep-Jasmine, built by the Laboratory of Intelligent Space Systems of the University of Tokyo. It is a proof of confidence in our service, because qualification shots are never done with useful load", highlighted Oleksandr Serdyuk, ukrainian general-director of the enterprise.

Roberto Amaral, director-general Brazilian of ACS, it said that the company wishes to dispute 30% of the international market of new releases, the equivalent the US$ 14 billion in the nearby five years. For that, it intends to conquer the north American market. "ACS is going to ask that the federal government initiates negotiations for a new agreement of technological cooperation with the United States", stressed.

At that time in which I was Science and Technology minister, in the first president mandate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Amaral to a signed agreement between Brazil was opposed and USA during the government Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The text finished rejected by the Congress. "The signed terms thwarted the national interests. We do not want boxes-pretas or closed packages. Our political is to favor the technological exchange, as we do with Ucrânia", stated.

Technology
Cyclone 4 is the newest development of a series of rockets that already obtained more than 260 welloff shots, without any failure. The strategic position of the Space Center of Alcântara (HAS SUPPER), in Maranhão, close to the Equator line, allows a fuel economy up to 30%, with subsequente load increase. Ucrânia detains rockets and new releases construction technology since the time in which it integrated the Soviet union. With the country independence, it became one of the most new releases market important competitors.

The project Brazil-Ucrânia set for Cyclone 4 foresees the creation of a new releases modern complex that allows to put in low orbits (height of about of 500km) space equipament with mass up to 5.300kg, and in intermediary orbit geoestacionária equipament with mass up to 1.600kg. "From the experience with Cyclone 4, we will leave for a joint enterprise, Cyclone 5, that will have Brazilian participation in the project", said Amaral.

Both partners expect generating high technology jobs. "In Ucrânia, we will involve more than 40 companies, besides some in Brazil, for Cyclone's Construction 4", said Serdyuk. Amaral detailed the infrastructure works total in Alcântara: "There will be, besides the construction of two new release ranches, vacancies in the highways opening, hotels, hospital and foreseen jobs in the implantation of the HAS SUPPER, like a floating harbor." To finance the enterprise, the company capital should be enlarged in more than 200%. Roberto Amaral announced that the increase proposal of US$ 105 million to US$ 375 million will be evaluated in binacional advice meeting, in 2 of June in Kiev, in Ucrânia. (Source: CB)