Yes, that’s a phrase you don’t hear every day. The Associated Press reports that top officials of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) are asking the government to either fund the agency to the tune of $200 million over the next two years or abandon a program to develop an indigenous launch vehicle. That vehicle, the VLS-1, exploded on the pad in August while being prepared for launch, killing 21; a report last month blamed the accident on underfunding and poor management. The AEB currently receives about $30 million a year. This press release provides more details about the AEB’s proposed plans: the press release is in Portuguese, however…
Brazil’s “nuclear program” is another phrase you don’t hear every day either:
http://www.iht.com/articles/123243.html
I predict that Brazil will abandon the VLS program and work with the Russians on the Tsyklon-Alcantara plan. The end result is the same, and the investment appears more sound. If Brazil wants in on the space game, that’s the only way they’re going to do it. As I understand it anyway, Lula (as the president of Brazil is known), would rather focus his attention on more “blue-collar” concerns.