Brazzil Brazil's second attempt at launching their Veículo Lançador de Satélites (VLS-1)
rocket will take place "sometime in December", according to Luiz Gylvan Meira
Filho, president of the Brazilian Space Agency. "The rocket is presently being
transported from its facilities in São José dos Campos to the launchpad in
Alcântara." Meira said. Brazil's first attempt to launch the VLS-1 in 1997 was unsuccessful, when the rocket
had to be destroyed after it veered off course. The second VLS-1 will attempt to put a
Brazilian built microsatellite, the SACI 2, into orbit. The 83-kilogram SACI 2 satellite
was designed by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), and will contain
experiments from various Brazilian Universities, according to Meira. Meanwhile, Brazilian space officials are "wondering if we chose the right
partner" in Boeing Co., Seattle, to help them develop the preliminary specifications
for the hardware Brazil is committed to providing to the International Space Station,
according to Márcio Nogueira Barbosa, director of Brazil's National Institute for Space
Research, (INPE). In an exclusive interview during the III Workshop on Commercial Space activities in Rio
de Janeiro recently, Barbosa said that the Brazilians are "displeased" with
Boeing's decision to stop work on a $10 million contract with INPE, because the Brazilians
are approximately $3 million in arrears on payments. Citing the eight-month payment interruption due to difficulties in the Brazilian
economy, Barbosa emphasized that Boeing may have jeopardized a 15-year potential
relationship with INPE, by stopping work on the current contract, closing its office, and
returning its representative to the US. "Brazil has faithfully paid up on its two previous contracts with Boeing,"
Barbosa said, "and now that we are going through some tough times in the last eight
months, Boeing decides to stop work because there has been a delay on the payment of a
relatively small sum. Although I'm not saying we cannot resume work with Boeing sometime
in the future, I must also say this will not be forgotten." Bill Olsen, who headed Boeing's Brazil Project office in São José dos Campos until
recently, claimed that the company... "slowly reduced the scope of its work hoping
the money would be forthcoming... but then were instructed by our management on June 1st
to put everything on hold." Shortly thereafter, Boeing shut down its office in São José dos Campos and returned
Olsen to the US. Although Boeing's work was to represent approximately half Brazil's
expenditure on the Station, Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, was selected to
lead the construction effort. Olsen said that Boeing is still prepared to support Brazil
as soon as funding is in place and that its contract with INPE is "still fully in
place, still fully functioning". Barbosa said that part of the reason for the delay in payments for its contributions to
the Station are caused by the severe pressures imposed by the International Monetary Fund
on Brazil, resulting in severe cuts throughout the national budget. "We need $23
million reais for INPE's budget and we now have only $4 million reais
available" he said. But Barbosa expressed confidence that INPE's request for supplemental funding will be
approved, and that the Brazilian national government is committed to fulfill its Space
Station obligations. "We expect that the Executive branch will seek additional funding for INPE's
budget based on better than expected national economic performance", Barbosa said. An official from NASA's Space Station liaison office also present at the Rio conference
indicated that NASA will be sending INPE and the Brazilian Space Agency a letter
requesting confirmation of Brazil's financial commitment and budget allocation for an
external research facility, otherwise known as the Express Pallet, that houses experiments
outside the Station and is part of Brazil's hardware contribution to the International
Space Station. This official indicated that NASA will soon have to make a "critical path"
decision on whether to find an alternate provider of the Express Pallet, if the Brazilians
are unable to come up with the financing for that hardware item in the near future. Shelley Harrison, chairman and CEO of SpaceHab Inc., indicated his companies' interest
and capabilities to work with Brazil on the Express Pallet and microgravity research
during his presentation at the conference. Michael Kearney, vice president of Marketing
& Sales for SpaceHab said that, "SpaceHab's work on the Express Pallet for Brazil
might be an option once the Brazilians have determined what their relationship is with
Boeing" Besides the unpressurized Express Pallet, Brazil's hardware contributions to the
Station, set to total $120 million (dollars), includes a cargo handling interface assembly
and a unit to deliver hardware to the station while it is being built. Frank Dirceu Braun, an award-winning journalist, was born in Brazil and
raised in the United States. You may contact him at fbraun@adnc.com
Copyright©1999 by Braun Communications. All rights reserved, including the
right of reproduction in whole or in part, in any form.
September 1999
Space No-Go
Brazilian participation in the International Space Station might end
very soon if Brazil does not come up with the money to pay for its share in the project.
NASA is already thinking about getting an alternate provider for the Express Pallet, a
component that was entrusted to Brazil.
Frank Dirceu Braun
