China-Brazil Cooperation: CBERS

Transcription

1 Symposium on Legal and Policy Aspects of Space Cooperation between Europe and the BRICS Countries Inventory, Challenges and Opportunities International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL), Latin American Studies (LAS) University of Leiden The Netherlands 16 May 2013 China-Brazil Cooperation: CBERS José Monserrat Filho Head, International Cooperation Office Brazilian Space Agency

2 This event is basically a Symposium on BRICS. So, let me start talking about this new international forum and its current implications for the global space policy. After that, I will examine the Brazilian- Chinese space cooperation, as well as how it fits in this larger picture.

3 The BRICS is a creature and a creator of the new multilateral system that is emerging in the changing world of our time. The new system is coming to replace the restrict system arisen at the end of the Cold War.

4 Using Paulo Borba Casella s words, I propose as epigraph of this presentation: The BRICS perspective may mean a mutation of global reach".

5 The BRICS has the possibility "to redraw the world's map and the international relations in the coming decades," as Casella emphasizes.

6 What about outer space in BRICS countries?

7 All BRICS countries are spacefaring nations, but among them there is not yet a program of space cooperation.

8 Scott Firsing, Senior Lecturer and Head of International Studies s Department, Monash University, South Africa: The friendly relationship between the BRICS countries can blast off into space. That could be natural, logical and needed. There are already some basis for it.

9 The China-Russia Space Cooperation was well implemented. This relationship tends to increase in the fields of satellite navigation, joint deep space research, moon exploration and manned space missions.

10 Russia assisted South Africa in launching its first earth orbiting satellite Sumbandila into space in September The satellite was launched. from Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.

11 Russia assisted Brazil in updating the Brazilian Satellite Launch Vehicle (VLS-1), after the accident of 23 August 2003 in launching platform, when died 21 Brazilian technicians and engineers.

12 Thanks to an agreement with Russia, Brazil won its first astronaut, Marcos Pontes, who flew to the International Space Station aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-8 in 2006.

13 This year, Brazil became the first country outside Russia to host a station of the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS. A GLONASS's station was inaugurated at the University of Brasilia last February. Other station will be installed soon in South of Brazil.

14 Chinese-Brazilian Space Cooperation This

15 In 1964, Brazil and China were about to normalize diplomatic relations. This process was stopped by a military coup. Ten years later, in 1974, following the USA s example, a new military government established relations with China, above all for commercial reasons.

16 Again, ten years later, in 1984, Brazil and China signed a complementary agreement on space cooperation to the framework agreement on cooperation in science and technology.

17 Four years later, in 1988, Brazil and China signed an agreement to develop, build and operate two advanced remote sensing satellites. The Program was named CBERS (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite). The initiative involved INPE and CAST: Brazilian National Institute for Space Research and Chinese Academy of Space Technology.

18 Initial investment in financial and technological resources: more than US$ 300 million. CBERS s objective: to implement a complete system of remote sensing internationally. Shared responsibilities: 30% Brazilian and 70% Chinese.

19 CBERS Program was created thanks to the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology, founded only three years before, in The decision to negotiate with China was taken against to the opinion of the Brazilian Commission of Space Activities (COBAE), the main organ of the sector at that time.

20 Brazil and China negotiated the project during only two years ( ). They exchanged technical information and visited each other s facilities. And concluded: we have all the human, technical and material conditions to jointly develop an Earth Resources Satellite.

21 Brazil, emerging from a long military regime, sought to abandon the Cold War logic and establish new international partnerships. China was dedicated to its great internal reform, but was also seeking international partnerships to develop advanced space technologies.

22 CBERS was the first South-South cooperation program in space technology all over the world.

23 CBERS was advantageous for both countries. Brazil had an unprecedented opportunity to develop medium-size satellites at a time when it was only capable of building small ones (100 kg size). China had an international partner that posed no military threats and that was receptive of foreigners.

24 Major difficulties faced by Brazil throughout CBERS's history: 1) Freezing of the program for nearly four years ( ) CBERS was nearly canceled; 2) Severe opposition from the Federal Government (March 1990-September 1992); 3) Lack of budget in some other periods; 4) Broad constraints in the world market for the purchase of systems and components; and 5) Operational delays as consequence.

25 At the beginning, CBERS consisted in two remote sensing satellites only CBERS-1 and -2. But thanks to their success after 1993, China and Brazil decided to expand the program with new satellites CBERS-2B, CBERS-3 and -4.

26 For CBERS-3 and CBERS-4 Brazil and China adopted equally shared responsibilities: 50% of each one.

27 The CBERS's satellites brought to Brazil great scientific and technological advances. Numbers attest this: 1) CBERS has over 35,000 users, although no more than 2,500 entities are registered as active CBERS users; 2) More than one million CBERS images, have been distributed for free at a rate of about 250 every day.

28 CBERS s images are used in deforestation control and environmental monitoring in the Amazon Region, water resources monitoring, urban growth, soil occupation, education and several other applications. They are essential for important national and strategic projects, like PRODES (Amazon deforestation real time evaluation) and CANASAT (monitoring of sugar-cane areas), among others.

29 Five planned CBERS stations: # South Africa # Kenya, Malindi # Gabon, Libreville # Egypt, Aswan # Spain, Canary Islands Brazil and China created the Program CBERS For Africa to distribute images for free in all African Countries.

30 Lesson from Chinese-Brazilian partnership PNAE s third Strategic Guideline: Expand partnership with other countries, by prioritizing joint development of technological and industrial projects of mutual interest. National Program of Space Activities (PNAE )

31 Three CBERS satellites were launched until now: CBERS-1, in 1999; CBERS-2, in 2003; CBERS-2B, in CBERS-3 is to be launched later this year; and CBERS-4 is to be launched in China and Brazil are starting to create a Ten Years Plan of Space Cooperation. CBERS was a pioneer in space cooperation between developing countries. The Ten Years Plan is another pioneering initiative.

32 Thank you very much for your kind attention.