Argentina Plans to Join Space Age

Hello reader!

It follows one communicates published in english on the day (16/08), in the site "www.space-travel.com", announcing that the Argentina plans to launch for the first time in 2013 his Satellites Launch Vehicle.

Duda Falcão

Rocket Science

Argentina Plans to Join Space Age

by Staff Writers
Buenos Aires (UPI) Aug 16, 2010

Argentina is developing satellite-launching capability with the hope of garnering some of the new business currently going to China.

Several of Argentina's neighbors are in the process of launching satellites with Chinese help, and others are actively considering an early entry into the Space Age. Although Argentina, too, has signed up for space cooperation with China, officials said the satellite program would be launched with the nation's own resources.

Analysts said Argentina could see satellite technology development not only as a new line of business but also as a way of bolstering defense capability amid a continuing row with Britain over a sovereignty claim on the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory.

Buenos Aires' claim over the Falklands erupted into a bloody conflict in 1980, when an Argentine force led by the country's military junta invaded the territories but was beaten back by Britain in a 74-day war that took more than 1,000 lives. Argentina signed its surrender but never gave up its claim on the Falklands.

Exactly how debt-ridden Argentina will finance its satellite program remains unclear. Argentina has set 2013 as the target date for joining the club of countries currently able to launch satellites for their own use or for clients. Aside from the United States, Russia and the European Union, the list includes Japan and Israel.

Earlier this year Iran became the 11th nation to launch its own satellite into Earth's orbit. However, at least one of those countries, Iraq, is now seen unlikely to have retained that capacity after it launched a satellite under Saddam Hussein in 1989.

Conrado Varotto, chief executive officer of Argentina's National Committee of Space Activities, told the media Argentina expects to build and launch its satellite at a fourth of the going cost "anywhere else".

Varotto indicated Argentina was tired of begging other countries to help it with putting its own satellites into orbit.

It was not clear if he included China and India. Both have built their space capabilities at a fraction of the costs incurred in Europe and North America.

"With the needed resources, we estimate that by 2013 we could be launching the first space vehicle," he said.

Varotto said Argentina's satellite program would have the capacity to put into orbit satellites weighing 550-900 pounds.

All aspects of the program, including the engine and navigation systems, would be developed in Argentina, and the country's Puerto Belgrano military base is likely to be the launch pad, he said.

Several Latin American countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela, have received Chinese aid for their satellite launch programs.

Fonte: Site www.space-travel.com

Comentário: O que o blog temia pode vir a acontecer em 2013, caso essa notícia venha se confirmar, ou seja, perdermos definitivamente a hegemonia espacial (agora na área de foguetes, já que na área de satélites isso já aconteceu) para a Argentina. Falar em culpados, não acredito que seja necessário, pois todos sabemos quem pode ser os culpados num programa coordenado unicamente pelo governo. É triste e decepcionante hoje estamos aqui apresentando essa notícia divulgada através de um dos mais conceituados sites do setor aeroespacial em todo mundo, porém demonstra a falta de visão e total incompetência política administrativa de todos os governos que sucederam o ex-presidente José Saney (época de maior desenvolvimento do programa, apesar da grande dificuldade econômica que o país vivia). Isso vem também a se juntar a decisões equivocadas como a criação da ACS, e a falta de apoio incondicional ao programa VLS (que deveria voar em 2007) e ao acordo com os russos. Está ai o resultado, espero que agora vocês estejam satisfeitos. Parabéns aos hermanos argentinos por demonstrarem que mesmo com poucos recursos, mas com seriedade, competência, dinamismo e visão e possível fazer um sonho se tonar realidade. Que essa matéria venha servi de alerta para que o COMAER venha cobrar energicamente do governo LULA apoio incondicional e prioridade total para os programas de lançadores atualmente em curso no IAE, leia-se VLM, VLS-1 e o VLS-ALFA. Aproveito para agradecer ao leitor Marcelo (não deixou seu sobrenome) pelo envio dessa matéria.