Environment
NASA, Brazil Space Agency Ink Earth Sciences Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During a visit to South America, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Thursday signed two cooperative Earth science agreements with Agencia Espacial Brasileira (AEB), NASA’s counterpart space agency in Brazil.
One agreement formalizes NASA-AEB scientific collaboration on the Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission, while the other extends an agreement for the Ozone Cooperation Mission.
“Earth observation from space is vital to understanding our planet,” Bolden said. “The technically skilled and dedicated researchers in Brazil are excellent partners for NASA, and we look forward to many more years of successful international cooperation in space-based Earth science.”
GPM is an Earth science mission led by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It will provide advanced information on rain and snow characteristics, as well as detailed 3-D views of precipitation structure. NASA and AEB will study data distribution and the use of GPM’s products inBrazil, coordinate cooperative research projects, and support the exchange of scientific and engineering personnel.
The Ozone Cooperation Mission uses balloon-borne instruments launched from Maxaranguape, Brazil, to study concentrations of various atmospheric constituents. Results from the mission will contribute to the understanding of the Earth’s ozone layer, its generation and depletion. They also will help calibrate and verify satellite remote sensors. NASA and AEB will share equipment, data, training and technical expertise.
During his week-long visit to South America, Bolden is meeting with senior government officials in Chile,Argentina, Brazil and Costa Rica, discussing potential cooperation between NASA and regional space agencies. This is the first visit of a NASA administrator to the region in nearly eight years. It is a testament to the increasingly strong capabilities of NASA’s partners in these countries.
For more information about NASA, visit: http:// www.nasa.gov
About the Brazilian Space Agency
The Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country’s burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch siteat Barreira do Inferno. The agency has given Brazil a leading role in space in Latin America and has made Brazil a valuable and dependable partner for cooperation in theInternational Space Station.
The Brazilian Space Agency is the heir to Brazil’s space program. Previously, the program had been under the control of the Brazilian military; the program was transferred into civilian control on 10 February 1994.
It suffered a major setback in 2003, when a rocket explosion killed 21 technicians. Brazil successfully launched its first rocket into space on 23 October 2004 from the Alcântara Launch Center; it was a VSB-30 launched on a sub-orbital mission. Several other successful launches have followed.
On March 30, 2006, AEB astronaut Marcos Pontes became the first Brazilian and the first native Portuguese-speaking person to go into space, where he stayed on the International Space Station for a week. During his trip, Pontes carried out eight experiments selected by the Brazilian Space Agency. He landed in Kazakhstan on April 8, 2006, with the crew ofExpedition 12.
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Tags: AEB, Brazil Space Agency, Environment, NASA, Space, spacecraft, spaceflight
[...] and the Brazil Space Agency have Inked a Earth Sciences Agreement, http://moonandback.com/2011/10/27/nasa-brazil-space-agency-ink-earth-sciences-agreement/ What else may they have agreed to cooperate [...]