Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has approved the country’s plan to launch two geostationary satellites by 2018, with the Brazilian Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology considering manufacturing the first satellite itself.
Under the…
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has approved the country’s plan to launch two geostationary satellites by 2018, with the Brazilian Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology considering manufacturing the first satellite itself.
Under the proposal, the first satellite would be designed to predominantly provide communications services to underserved areas, with between 15-20% of its capacity set aside for military purposes. The spacecraft is to cost approximately R$716m (US$389m) and is slated to be launched by 2014, the year Brazil hosts the Fifa World Cup.
An executive committee comprising experts from the communications ministry, the Brazilian Space Agency, the Ministry of Defence and state-owned telco Telebrás will now spend the next sixty days developing a plan on how best to facilitate the new satellite. Paulo Bernardo, the Brazilian communications minister, stated that the intention was to develop the satellite in Brazil but they would also consider ordering it from a foreign manufacturer in order to make sure the satellite is ready by 2014.
The second bird will be a meteorological satellite and is to be launched by 2018. The government is also planning to launch a low earth orbit micro-satellite to monitor deforestation in the Amazon.
Funding for the spacecraft has been included in the 2012 government budget, or Pluriannual Plan, with approximately R$55.7m (US$31.8m) already allocated to the project.