Beijing symposium discusses development of BRICS remote sensing satellite constellation

China and Brazil have announced plans to jointly develop new satellites for the exploration of natural resources on Earth. This collaboration aims to further promote the development of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation, which experts believe holds great potential for aerospace cooperation between the two nations.

The China-Brazil Earth Resources Exploration Satellite (CBERS) project has achieved significant success over the past 30 years. During a symposium on China-Brazil space cooperation organized by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) in Beijing, experts highlighted the CBERS project as the longest and most influential international aerospace cooperation initiative, serving as a model for "south-south" partnerships.

Ma Shijun, the mission chief of the CBERS project, explained that China and Brazil signed an agreement in 1988 to jointly develop CBERS. The two countries shared the costs and separately developed various systems, leveraging their respective strengths to complement each other. This is reported by Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

In 1999, the first Sino-Brazilian satellite focusing on the study of Earth resources was successfully launched. This marked the first spacecraft jointly developed by China and another country, receiving recognition as one of China's top 10 scientific and technological achievements of the year.

To date, China and Brazil have collaborated on the development of six satellites for Earth resource studies, with CBERS-4 and CBERS-4A currently operational in orbit. The data obtained from these satellites supports the socio-economic development of both countries and finds wide-ranging applications in natural resources, agriculture, forestry, geology, water resources, urban planning, and environmental protection.

Additionally, the satellite data plays a crucial role in monitoring global disasters like forest fires, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis. It is made available free of charge to developing nations.

Jose Raimundo Coelho, a former president of the Brazilian Space Agency and participant in the symposium, recently received the Chinese government's Friendship Award in recognition of his contributions to the aerospace cooperation between China and Brazil.

The CNSA emphasized that aerospace cooperation between China and Brazil will benefit the people of both nations and contribute to the realization of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

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