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Brazil and China announce a $102 million agreement to develop CBERS-6, a satellite with cutting-edge technology to monitor fires, deforestation and natural disasters in any weather condition.
Much more than just an international contract, the recent partnership between Brazil and China to build a new satellite could change the way the country monitors fires, deforestation and natural disasters.
Behind the million-dollar numbers and diplomatic negotiations, there is an innovative technology that promises to go beyond current limitations.
Brazil-China Agreement and the Billion-Dollar Details
Last Wednesday (18), the Federal Senate ratifies the agreement between Brazil and China for the production and operation of the CBERS-6 satellite, marking another chapter in the historic space partnership that began in 1988.
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The total investment planned is 102 million dollars (approximately R$ 632 million), divided equally between the two countries.
This value covers everything from development to launch of the equipment, which uses advanced SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology.
This technology is capable of generating data in any weather condition, even under dense cloud layers, which represents a leap forward compared to current systems, which are often limited by smoke or adverse weather conditions.
According to the senator and rapporteur of the project, Astronaut Marcos Pontes, the main innovation of CBERS-6 is to allow preventive monitoring of deforestation.
“With this technology, we will be able to act before environmental damage occurs,” Pontes highlighted.
Furthermore, he reinforced that the data generated will be used exclusively for civilian purposes, preserving national interests.
Advances in environmental management and anticipated risks
CBERS-6 will bring direct benefits to environmental management, including the control of fires, land occupation and water resources.
As explained by Senator Eduardo Braga (MDB-AM), “This partnership attracts investments for the Brazilian aerospace program and strengthens the prevention of environmental disasters.”
One of the examples cited is the possibility of identifying failures in dams, something crucial to avoid tragedies like Mariana and Brumadinho.
However, not all senators were optimistic. Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE) and Cleitinho (Republicanos-MG) questioned the economic viability of the project, pointing out the context of crisis in Brazil and the high value of the investment.
“There is no solid justification for this spending. To what extent are we becoming dependent on China?”, argued Girão.
Historic partnership and debates on sovereignty
The Brazil-China partnership in space technology began in 1988 and gave rise to the CBERS (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) series of satellites.
The initial agreement, signed in 1994, established the division of costs and the sharing of generated data, with access restricted to third parties subject to approval by both countries.
However, China's technological advances have raised concerns among some lawmakers. Izalci Lucas (PL-DF) questioned whether the Asian country could have other strategic interests in the data collected.
In response, Marcos Pontes assured that the agreement protects national sovereignty and that the data will be used to benefit multiple sectors, from agriculture to urban planning.
The challenges of investing in technology
Investing in science and technology has always been a controversial issue in Brazil, especially in times of economic difficulties.
Pontes emphasized that initiatives like this have an impact on several areas, not just environmental prevention.
According to him, the cost of not acting can be much higher, citing as an example the financial and human losses in recent environmental disasters.
Furthermore, Senator Eduardo Braga reinforced that China, by sharing costs, not only shares responsibilities, but also helps to boost the Brazilian aerospace program.
For him, this collaboration is strategic, mainly because it strengthens national technological capacity.
What are the next steps?
Now that the Senate has approved the agreement, it moves forward for enactment, allowing the Brazil and China advance in the construction of CBERS-6.
While the promised benefits excite the scientific and environmental community, criticism highlights the need for a deeper debate about the real interests behind this partnership.
What do you think of this investment? Do the technological and environmental benefits justify the high cost? Leave your opinion in the comments!
But of course, when do we see investing? In this satellite, we should not think about other purposes. The USA does this directly with Brazil, they come here and take what they want. Let's trust China, it's just another one, and they will share with us everything that the satellite captures. We just have to be smart about everything, but it is much more viable than the USA.
Brazil and China have been producing satellites at INPE Sjcampos for decades and there is a satellite that lasted much longer than expected. China is a partner, otherwise we would have to pay for the use of satellites from other countries and it is expensive.
INPE satellites do not have an agreement with China. Visit the website and find out everything. Take advantage and see real and instant images and information made available by the system.