Other, White House

The United States, Brazil, and space cooperation

Lost in yesterday’s developments in Libya was the release of a joint statement by US President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff during President Obama’s visit to Brazil. The lengthy statement covered a wide range of topics, including, interestingly, three paragraphs devoted to space policy:

President Rousseff welcomed the emphasis the U.S. National Space Policy has placed on international cooperation and expressed her wish to expand the dialogue with the United States bearing in mind the guidelines of the Brazilian space policies, aimed at technological capacity building and the commercial use of infrastructure and technology.

In this context, they welcomed the signing of a new bilateral Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and expressed their desire to commence negotiations of a new agreement to protect launching operation technologies.

Furthermore, they affirmed the commitment of their countries to security in space and decided to initiate a dialogue in that area. They also instructed the appropriate agencies in the two countries to discuss the establishment of a Brazil – United States. Working Group on satellite-based earth observations, environmental monitoring, precipitation measurement, and natural disaster mitigation and response that would facilitate future dialogue and cooperation in these fields.

The middle paragraph appears to refer to the long, difficult road to launching US satellites, or even US launch vehicles, from the Brazilian spaceport at Alcântara. That facility is ideally located for GEO launches, as it is located within three degrees of the Equator, but has been used primarily for sounding rockets. Brazil developed a small launch vehicle, the VLS-1, but the vehicle never successfully launched; during preparations for its third launch in 2003, the rocket exploded on the pad, killing 21 people. There has been interest from other vehicle developers about using the site, but one hindrance has been the lack of a Technology Safeguard Agreement between the US and Brazil, to comply with US export control laws to protect US technology. A TSA was signed in 2000, but the Brazilian government declined to ratify it after some legislators expressed concerns that it violated the country’s sovereignty.

The agreement suggests the two countries are willing to reopen discussions that could lead to a new TSA. But who will use the spaceport? One long-discussed vehicle has been the Ukrainian Cyclone-4 rocket. While those plans have suffered numerous delays (a 2004 report indicated that Cyclone launches from Alcântara would begin “sometime after 2007″), there may be some progress, as groundbreaking on Cyclone facilities at the spaceport took place last September. Interestingly, a WikiLeaks cable from December 2008 reports that Ukrainian officials met with staff of the US embassy in Brazil, asking for US government support from the project; the Ukrainians offered to lobby the Brazilian congress to win approval of the original US-Brazil TSA. A couple months later the US declined the offer, according to another WikiLeaks cable.

24 comments to The United States, Brazil, and space cooperation

  • amightywind

    Good Lord! Talk about playing small ball! 3 wars raging, nuclear meltdowns and catastrophic death in Japan and Obama is in Rio doing the samba with Brazil’s new socialist leadership. He has basically delegated the Libyan War to Hillary. His sense of timing is abysmal.

    If Ukraine wants to launch rockets from Brazil, that is their affair. Why on earth would the US government want to finance yet 3rd world space launch competitor? Then again, why does Obama have a moratorium on domestic gulf oil drilling but funds Brazilian offshore exploration though foreign aid?

  • Fred Willett

    Most of the communique about space co-operation is mom and apple pie stuff. It costs nothing to say and commits to little.
    But in general the push towards co-operation is a good thing. It may – in time – be of benefit to both sides. No guarantees, of course.
    But in the future who knows.
    You’ve got to plant seed for anything to grow.

  • Coastal Ron

    amightywind wrote @ March 20th, 2011 at 6:27 pm

    Then again, why does Obama have a moratorium on domestic gulf oil drilling but funds Brazilian offshore exploration though foreign aid?

    Right as usual Windy (i.e. wrong). The U.S. hasn’t provided Brazil with foreign aid in a long time.

  • Aremis Asling

    “Why on earth would the US government want to finance yet 3rd world space launch competitor?”

    I’m pretty sure the answer is here:

    “The middle paragraph appears to refer to the long, difficult road to launching US satellites, or even US launch vehicles, from the Brazilian spaceport at Alcântara. That facility is ideally located for GEO launches…”

    But, of course, once again export controls lows stand in the way of the US establishing high tech connections with a leading world economy.

    Oh right, we shouldn’t be supporting them because a nation that has yet to launch their own domestic rocket might be in hot competition with us a decade from now. I can see being afraid of China or Russia. They actually compete with us substantially. But neither Ukraine nor Brazil stand a chance of carving out a piece of our space pie, economically or otherwise, anytime in the next quarter century. I could be blindsided by an amazing overnight success, but I doubt it.

    “3 wars raging, nuclear meltdowns and catastrophic death in Japan and Obama is in Rio doing the samba with Brazil’s new socialist leadership.”

    He made a speech confirming and elaborating on our involvement in Libya the same day from Brasilia. He gave the authorization that same day and escalated the same day when Gaddafi refused to stop his advances. I know it’s hard to take in all of the rapid changes in new media, but managing our involvement in Libya from Brazil requires no more than a telephone. At least he’s not out enjoying the links during crises like the last guy.

  • gdale

    “to discuss the establishment of a Brazil – United States. Working Group on satellite-based earth observations, environmental monitoring, precipitation measurement, and natural disaster mitigation and response ”

    So Obama and Brasilia want to cooperate in these areas, eh. So why then did the President cancel an Earth Science mission that was to make measurements of the biomass on the planet (re:Trees), the impact of deforrestation (natural and man made) on the biomass, learn how recover of said biomass evolves, how the biomass quantity plays into the carbon cycle (C02 absorption),,,as well as advance the science of earth quake prediction to mitigate against natural disasters?

    Indeed these are all important issues for Brazil given the role the Amazon basin plays in their economy..

    If Obama really wants to partner with Brasilia on these issues he should not have canceled that mission in his 2012 budget.

    Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

  • amightywind

    Right as usual Windy (i.e. wrong). The U.S. hasn’t provided Brazil with foreign aid in a long time.

    Nothing to see here folks. Move along. Move along.

  • Coastal Ron

    amightywind wrote @ March 21st, 2011 at 8:51 am

    Nothing to see here folks. Move along. Move along.

    Indeed nothing. Windy you don’t know the difference between giving money away (i.e. foreign aid) versus providing a loan for resource development (i.e. a loan).

    As usual, this example continues to show your problem with understanding and using words.

  • At least he’s not out enjoying the links during crises like the last guy.

    He’s not? Who knew?

    That’s OK, though. The White House says it’s good for us when he plays golf. I actually agree — the more time on the links, the less time he has available to further screw things up.

  • amightywind

    Windy you don’t know the difference between giving money away (i.e. foreign aid) versus providing a loan for resource development (i.e. a loan).

    No difference as the US taxpayer ends up getting shafted. As usual you get confused by your own weasel wording.

  • common sense

    @ gdale wrote @ March 21st, 2011 at 6:51 am

    “So why then did the President cancel an Earth Science mission”

    Because some morons in Congress think NASA should not do any Earth science. Because some time you have to make compromise with said morons to get anything done.

    Only a guess. Oh well…

  • E.P. Grondine

    Hi AA –

    “But neither Ukraine nor Brazil stand a chance of carving out a piece of our space pie, economically or otherwise, anytime in the next quarter century”

    Since my stroke I am reluctant to comment on foreign policy issues, but it is clear that you’ve never heard of the Zenith launcher, or of Sea-launch.

    I don’t have a clue why Obama is in Brazil right now, but you can be sure that it is for important reasons.

  • amightywind

    the impact of deforrestation (natural and man made) on the biomass…

    The impact of deforestation in Brazil has been marvelous economic growth. For too long the treehuggers have used NASA missions as a safe refuge and propaganda platform from which to hobble the free market. No more!

    advance the science of earth quake prediction to mitigate against natural disasters?

    If the lavishly funded programs in place failed to help predict or mitigate the Indonesia and Japan earthquakes, maybe this goal is not realistic.

  • Vladislaw

    Lets see here .. the United States is going to borrow 10 billion dollars for a country to drill oil… Gosh… I wonder who will get first dibs on that oil?

  • Coastal Ron

    amightywind wrote @ March 21st, 2011 at 11:13 am

    No difference as the US taxpayer ends up getting shafted.

    Foreign aid is a gift, with no expectation of monetary repayment. Loans are repaid, and in the case of loans for resource development, it usually means favorable consideration in the future. So while you may like paying for oil from Iran, I would rather buy it from Brazil.

    As usual you get confused by your own weasel wording.

    Learn how to use a dictionary.

    Words matter, and the definition of words matter. If I wrote that you were stupid (i.e. lacking intelligence or common sense), but what I had in mind was that you were ignorant (i.e. lacking knowledge or awareness in general), that’s a big difference.

    So were you ignorant of the difference between “foreign aid” and “loans”, or just being stupid? ;-)

  • common sense

    @E.P. Grondine wrote @ March 21st, 2011 at 12:24 pm

    “I don’t have a clue why Obama is in Brazil right now, but you can be sure that it is for important reasons.”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil

    “The Brazilian economy is the world’s eighth largest economy by nominal GDP[14] and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity.[15] Brazil is one of the world’s fastest growing major economies.

  • mr. mark

    amightwind, after your last comment about deforrestation, I have lost total respect for you. It’s time to hit the ignore button. Talk about out of touch.

  • spacermase

    The impact of deforestation in Brazil has been marvelous economic growth. For too long the treehuggers have used NASA missions as a safe refuge and propaganda platform from which to hobble the free market. No more!

    Careful Windy, you’re crossing the line into self-parody with this one :-D

  • amightywind

    mr. mark, spacemase

    Most Americans do not subscribe to the weird agrarian vision espoused by the eco-left. Such people are now making government policy and they must be contested. You druids may mourn the loss of the trees. I celebrate impoverished Brazilians improving their lives.

  • Beancounter from Downunder

    mr. mark wrote @ March 21st, 2011 at 2:17 pm
    amightwind, after your last comment about deforrestation, I have lost total respect for you. It’s time to hit the ignore button. Talk about out of touch.

    Agreed.

    Here’s a thought Windy, The Earth is a spaceship and has crew and passengers. She needs her crew and can’t survive without them but passengers are optional. Guess who the passengers are?

  • Vladislaw

    amightywind wrote:

    “Good Lord! Talk about playing small ball! 3 wars raging, nuclear meltdowns and catastrophic death in Japan and Obama is in Rio doing the samba with Brazil’s new socialist leadership.”

    E.P. Grondine wrote:

    “I don’t have a clue why Obama is in Brazil right now, but you can be sure that it is for important reasons.”

    China grabs Latin America, well ahead of Obama’s outreach

    “Madrid – President Obama’s current visit to Latin America is widely seen as a move to counteract the rising influence of China, which is in the midst of an unprecedented energy grab in the oil- and mineral-rich region.

    From oil to refineries, China is capturing and integrating Latin America as much as it can, securing at least $65 billion in deals throughout the region since 2010. The deals are expected to eventually translate into at least a million barrels of crude oil and refined products per day and growing markets on both sides of the continent.

    The grab is not only unprecedented but also a significant game-changer in China’s rise as a world power, especially because the US plans to increasingly meet its own energy demand with Latin American oil, setting the stage for a future competition between both countries.”

    Actually, the President is making deals for America.

  • amightywind

    The Earth is a spaceship and has crew and passengers. She needs her crew and can’t survive without them but passengers are optional. Guess who the passengers are?

    Easy to say when you have food and a roof over your head. The guy lighting fires in the Amazon doesn’t share your sentiment. Your benevolent spaceship Earth is trying to kill him. He needs a place for his goat to graze so he makes it. He has my support.

  • Coastal Ron

    amightywind wrote @ March 22nd, 2011 at 8:58 am

    He needs a place for his goat to graze so he makes it. He has my support.

    It’s not goats that are deforesting the rain forests, it’s bulldozers. And they’re not doing it for goats, but for agri-corp farms.

    As usual, you don’t have a clue what the issues are.

  • Robert Merkel

    In the long term, Brazil is more than rich enough to fund its own space program if it wants.

    Its economy is the size of Britain’s. Its GDP per capita is about $10,000 (using purchasing power parity figures).

    Given that the cost of a space program is likely to continue to fall (if done efficiently), and the Brazil of 2030 is going to have an economy of similar size to the American economy of the 1960s, cooperating with Brazil on space makes perfect sense.

  • BeancounterFromDownunder

    amightywind wrote @ March 22nd, 2011 at 8:58 am
    The Earth is a spaceship and has crew and passengers. She needs her crew and can’t survive without them but passengers are optional. Guess who the passengers are?

    ‘Easy to say when you have food and a roof over your head. The guy lighting fires in the Amazon doesn’t share your sentiment. Your benevolent spaceship Earth is trying to kill him. He needs a place for his goat to graze so he makes it. He has my support.’

    Great post Windy. As usual you are ignorant and ill-informed with no ability to think logically whatsoever. You seem to have no understanding of life on this planet and the dependencies and interdependencies that exist. Your logic here is on par with your other posts and henceforth I will ignore any further ones from you based soley upon this last effort.

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