Brazil in Space? Not yet... explosion kills 21 - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

Wandering the information superhighway, he came upon the last refuge of civilization, PoFo, the only forum on the internet ...

Political issues and parties from Mexico to Argentina.

Moderator: PoFo Latin America Mods

Forum rules: No one line posts please. This is an international political discussion forum, so please post in English only.
#23449
Another setback for Brazil in trying to become South America's first space power. With America's rockets still grounded(?) that leaves just the Russian Federation and the European Space agency as those capable of putting satellites into orbit.

On a side note, once capable of putting rockets into orbit one is also capable of building ICBMs...

Explosion on rocket launch pad kills 21
AP

23 August 2003

A rocket exploded on the launch pad while undergoing final pre-launch tests in Brazil, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 20.

The blast last night at the remote base in north-eastern Brazil killed mostly civilian technicians and destroyed two research satellites, Defence Minster Jose Veigas Filho said. Some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, he said.

"The launching pad collapsed and the technicians were working there, so everything indicates they died," Mr Veigas said.

Globo television showed footage of a plume of smoke rising high into the sky over the seaside Alcantara Launch Center, 1,500 miles north of Sao Paulo.

The explosion occurred after one of the four main motors of the rocket was ignited for reasons still unknown, he said.

The $2.2 million VLS-3 rocket was scheduled to be launched next week with the two satellites.

The blast came as technicians were putting the finishing touches on a rocket that would make Brazil the first Latin American nation to put a satellite in space on its own.

"We had just done two days of tests and everything went well — 100 per cent. Everybody is devastated," said Air Force Colonel Romeo Brasileiro.

It was Brazil's third attempt to send a satellite into space on its own rocket.

A rocket launched in November 1997 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean after suffering engine problems shortly after blast off.

In December 1999, another Brazilian rocket developed problems and failed three minutes after take-off. Officials remotely destroyed the rocket.

Brazil has operated a scientific space programme since the early 1970s and sent its first satellite into space in 1993 on board a US Pegasus rocket. The country's space programme centres on gravity research, meteorology, telecommunications and environmental research.

Presidential spokesman Andre Singer said: "Brazil's space program is an important scientific and technological project of our country. Today is a day of mourning."

Alcantara is considered a near-ideal launch site because of its location, just 2.3 degrees south of the equator. The Earth's rotation is faster at the equator, which helps propel rockets into space with less fuel and with heavier payloads.

About 15,000 people are currently employed in Brazil's aerospace industry.


Originally published here: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/ame ... ory=436381
By bach
#23773
Going to space is a complicated task and the brazilians aren't quite there yet, but that certainly shows what an advanced country Brazil has become, it is likely that in less than five years they would be already sending their satelites, if not less.

this not could mean a fenefit for Brazil but also for the continent.
By Simon Ostap
#23805
Space travel to me for all countries has always seemed like a foolish exploit.

It's wasteful, expensive, dangerous and despite the wonderful scientific discoveries that have been made in orbit and in the reduced gravity of orbit. I fail to be able to create for myself some sort of care or even interest in these billion dollar missions.

I say, let's focus on fixing things down here, before we bother sticking our necks out into an inhospitable hell.

Honestly, if you want someplace that's difficult to live, and is little more then vast nothingness, just start colonizing the godforsaken hell that is the arctic tundra.

Atleast it might hold some mineral resource worth extracting.

And everyone can benefit from northern exploits

-A place for criminals
-A shot in the economies arm for those interested
-No poor nation needs be excluded.

I'm sure space exploits have brought many things to mankind, but other then factual proof of the earths spherical appearance, I fail to understand just what those advances are.
By Nox
#23858
I wonder which non-South American company is giving technical support to Brazil?

Nox
By bach
#23867
Well, two years ago NASA was trying to set up a station on brazilian soil, but for what I know they never made it because they either kicked the indians out or they left the complex be built. Thats were they got the idea of building the complex.
#15155074
Brazil can make greater change only through chinese or russian help for their space program [1] but recently relations were widen with nasa so who knows how will end up in the middle [1][1] in the end maybe as middle man!?

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201912/21/WS5dfd5632a310cf3e3557fae9.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2% ... m#CBERS-4A

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian ... ooperation

~

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VLS-1_V03#Aftermath

Russia-Ukraine War 2022

Hamas are terrorist animals who started this and […]

It is possible but Zelensky refuses to talk... no[…]

Israel-Palestinian War 2023

@skinster Hamas committed a terrorist attack(s)[…]

"Ukraine’s real losses should be counted i[…]