BRAZIL SPACE AGENCY SPECULATES ON A FUTURE WITH NASA

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000586 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA/BSC FOR WWPOPP STATE TO OES/STC FOR PMEEKS; TO OES/SAT FECHAVARIA; L/T ZYLAN STATE PLS.TO PASS NASA/DWICKLAND, DKRIEGER AND TMCINTYRE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA KSCA BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL SPACE AGENCY SPECULATES ON A FUTURE WITH NASA ¶1. SUMMARY -------------- In recent media interviews, Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) President Sergio Gaudenzi is speaking more openly about why Brazil's first astronaut, Lt. Col. Marcos Cesar Pontes is flying with the Russians. Pontes is now scheduled to fly on March 30 with Russian astronaut Pavel Vinogradov and American astronaut Jeffrey Williams. End summary. ¶2. In a March 12th interview with O Estado de Sao Paulo, Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) President Sergio Gaudenzi implied that one of the motives behind the decision to fly with the Russians was their willingness to accept him, claiming that otherwise Brazil would have had to "start all over, with another astronaut." Even though Brazil is not expected to gain anything technologically with this flight, AEB President Gaudenzi said he considers the money spent as crucial to the development of Brazil's national space program. ¶3. The Brazilian newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo reports things differently. It reported that the low price Brazil paid to Russia (US$ 10.5 million) for the space flight of a Brazilian astronaut was not just a friendly gesture. The Russian government considers Pontes' flight the first stage of cooperation between the two nations in the space sector, cooperation which will include negotiations to use the Alcantara facility for the launching of Russian commercial satellites. The story said that according to Moscow, the Brazilian base needs about US$ 300 million in investments to become a launching center and the Russians are considering providing some financial assistance. Speaking of first flights, Gaudenzi indicated that both the Russians and Brazilians consider Santos Dumont the first in flight (in 1901) and not the Wright Brothers (in 1903) which is why this year in space flight is important - it marks the centennial anniversary of Santos' first powered flight in Europe (1906). ¶4. Future Cooperation with NASA Several media articles imply that the future of U.S. - Brazilian space cooperation is dependent upon U.S. willingness to reengage under the conditions of their original 1997 agreement whereby Brazil would send a man to space in exchange for Brazilian contributions to the ISS. Pontes has reportedly stated his intentions to fly on an American flight to space in 2009, saying the flight was in the participation agreement of the space station in exchange for Brazil's contributions of platelets for batteries and experiments to the ISS. Pontes stated to the Folha de Sao Paulo that he expects to return to his training at NASA after his space flight and won't rest until Brazil has turned in the first piece they were committed to contributing to the space station. Once the pieces are turned in, nothing but political will and the imminent retirement of two American spaceships in 2010 will stand between Pontes and a second flight. Gaudenzi blamed the switch from a NASA sponsored flight to a Russian flight on a reduction of the Brazilian contribution to the original agreement and spacecraft accidents that paralyzed NASA flights for two years. Gaudenzi said future cooperation with Russia is assured by this rush to space, but should not be seen as taken at the expense of cooperation with the U.S. LINEHAN