VZCZCXRO9080
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0586 0821056
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231056Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4909
INFO RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 1746
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 6609
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 4502
RUEANAT/NASA WASHDC

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