Press Release

Russia and Brazil discuss questions of the first Brazilian spaceman’s flight

By SpaceRef Editor
September 6, 2005
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Russia and Brazil discuss questions of the first Brazilian spaceman’s flight
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Sergio Gaudensi, President of the Brazilian Space Agency (BSA) and Victor Remishevsky, Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) held a meeting consecrated to aspects of training and flight of Brazilian spaceman lieutenant colonel Marcus Pontes aboard Russian Soyuz spaceship to the International Space Station (ISS).

The meeting took place at the capital of Brazil on August 31 – September 1, 2005. Vania Gurgel, spokesman for the BSA, informed that the Brazilian party would like this flight to take place in April 2006. “At present we are discussing details of the preliminary agreement and the financial contract”, – she said. – “The final agreement is to be signed not later than November 1, 2005”.

“We have a strong intention to carry out this flight with the help of Russia, and this will be an important cause to strengthen our relationships, which become closer every day “, – said the BSA’s President Sergio Gaudensi at the meeting with Russian specialists. – “The year of 2006 will be very significant for Brazil as we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Santos Dumont’s flight aboard an aircraft heavier than air”. We plan to start the Brazilian spaceman’s trainings in Star city in September. Marcus Pontes is to master Soyuz operational and life-sustaining systems. He was already trained at Johnson’s Space Centre (NASA) in Huston and received an astronaut’s certificate in 2000.

SpaceRef staff editor.