Brazil rocket program

James Webb launch delayed again. That's not because they did anything wrong. It's not anyone's fault or mismanagement. He said the telescope was already cutting it close on its schedule before the COVID pandemic struck the agency and that the virus had led to additional lost work time.

It may be one of that rocket's final missions before Arianespace transitions to the Ariane 6 booster. Musk to SpaceX: Starship is our priority now. Gone to Texas Musk said employees should do what is necessary to accelerate Starship development, up to and including moving to the South Texas Launch Site near Boca Chica beach. To that end, the company recently terminated its lease with the Port of Los Angeles. SpaceX has been all-in on development of the Texas rocket factory for a while, and this just further buttresses the notion that the company's path to Mars begins in Texas.

Vulcan on track for Moon launch. Staying ahead of the pandemic Battle over Air Force contracts continues. The pen is mightier than the turbopump Since the competition opened, Blue Origin has been pressuring the Air Force to select three rather than two winners.

However, in a show of political force, a group of 28 lawmakers from Colorado, Alabama, and other states where United Launch Alliance has manufacturing and launch operations sent a letter on May 29 to the Air Force asking it to not cave to pressure to add a third provider in Phase 2.

Kerbal Space Program 2 delayed until fall Everything moves to the right in the launch business, it seems, and that includes video games. Private Division, the makers of the new sequel Kerbal Space Program 2 , have announced that the KSP follow-up's launch has been pushed back to fall , Space. The game allows players to design, build, and often destroy their creations.

Now what are we going to blow up? This is an ambitious goal. Some of the points not well clarified at the beginning between Brazil and Ukraine brought a lot of problems during the execution of the program. So we should take more care in the initial share of responsibility. Third is the legal environment.

As it occurs in other industries, the ecosystem should be stable. We should have a fertile ground to develop a business. Other space markets are moving with NewSpace and private actors. We believe that the Ukraine-Brazilian treaty signed in would not be feasible in We have a new market and new actors, so now anything we do should concern how the business could be sustainable, and then from that point of view derive the other details.

International companies will come to Brazil only if they really believe that we can be competitive. Discussing with the U. Federal Aviation Administration, we found that the licensing process is a little bit awkward.

It takes a long time and is difficult for a company to get all the approvals. We are trying to do here in Brazil something that is safe, of course, but possibly easier and faster. The first step is to pass the inscription process, to present some very short information. The requirement is that a company have a resident in the country. That may be a legal representation, a joint venture, or even a Brazilian branch or subsidiary.

As a space agency, we should perform that activity. The other part of the process will be done by the Brazilian Air Force. They have the infrastructure and the means, so they will provide the technical and logistical support. The contracts should be discussed with the Air Force. In this initial implementation phase we will perform a kind of soft open.

The Brazilian Space Agency will take care of the licensing process and the companies will discuss the contracts with the Brazilian Air Force. According to our rules, the Brazilian Air Force cannot get profits from that, so what they will do is mainly discuss the cost of reimbursement. Moreover, although significant, the TSA is not sufficient to resolve the larger challenges facing the Brazilian space program.

There is no guarantee that the revenue will be reinvested in space technology, and Brazil has for years underinvested in basic science and technology development. Instead, Brazil sought to advance the Brazilian space program through a few highly ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful projects and partnerships—including its failed effort to develop a national space vehicle capable of putting satellites into orbit.

In this regard, the TSA represents a significant step forward for the Brazilian space program and will most likely bring needed financial resources to the country. Considering the grave fiscal crisis Brazil is experiencing, it is crucial that space activities generate income, not only demand investments.

However, the treaty alone will not solve all Brazilian space challenges, especially when it comes to advancements in satellite launching technology and advanced scientific expertise more generally. If Brazil wants to be a relevant player in space, it needs to ensure that future revenues are invested in promoting innovation and advancements for its own space program, including training astronauts and scientists, and investing in the development of new and existing space technologies.

Read more. Close Search Search. Think Brazil. Explore More. Blog post. Part of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Blog post. By Livia Peres Milani on October 24, About the Author. Livia Peres Milani Staff Intern.