China and Brazil advance joint efforts on seventh satellite

China and Brazil advance joint efforts on seventh satellite
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 19, 2024

Engineers and scientists from China and Brazil are collaborating on the development of a new remote-sensing satellite aimed at enhancing data collection and imaging for public and economic use.

The CBERS-6 satellite, currently being developed at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing and the National Institute for Space Research in Sao Paulo, will be the seventh addition to the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) series.

According to the China National Space Administration, the satellite will weigh approximately 800 kilograms and feature a Brazilian-built structure equipped with Chinese microwave imaging technology, including an X-band synthetic aperture radar.

Plans are in place for its launch around 2028, using a Long March 2C or 2D carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, northern China. The satellite is expected to operate in a sun-synchronous orbit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has praised the CBERS program as a prime example of successful space and technology cooperation among developing nations.

Technical discussions have already taken place between Chinese and Brazilian teams, leading to agreements on key arrangements. Concurrently, work has started on the conceptual design for CBERS-5, which will eventually be followed by the CBERS-6 model.

The roots of space cooperation between China and Brazil date back to May 1984, when both nations signed a complementary agreement to a broader science and technology cooperation framework. This laid the groundwork for further collaboration, which took a significant step forward in 1988 with the signing of a protocol for joint satellite research and production.

The first satellite in this series, CBERS-1, was launched in October 1999 following years of development. This was followed by CBERS-2 and CBERS-2B, launched in October 2003 and September 2007, respectively. All three satellites have since been decommissioned.

CBERS-3, launched in December 2013, failed to achieve its designated orbit due to launch vehicle malfunctions. However, CBERS-4, deployed in December 2014, and CBERS-4A, launched in December 2019, remain operational.

The entire CBERS fleet has been launched aboard Chinese rockets from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. To date, the program has produced and distributed millions of satellite images for users in both China and Brazil. These data products have supported a range of services, including land resource management, environmental monitoring, climate change research, disaster response, and agricultural forecasting.

Rafael Lopes Costa, a space engineer involved with the CBERS-4A program, highlighted the benefits of the satellite series, stating, "The satellite and its predecessors have enabled his country to be more independent on remote sensing data," adding that the CBERS images "are very important for monitoring our large national area and environmental preservation and other applications."

The CBERS initiative has also shared substantial satellite imagery with other developing regions, contributing to their socioeconomic development.