Brazil to have companies operating at Alcântara spaceport in 2022

The process of creating a spaceport, a site for launching or receiving spacecraft - manned or not, started 20 years ago, and it is close to being completed in Brazil, the head of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) on Monday (Mar. 14) Colonel Carlos Augusto Moura said in an interview with A Voz do Brasil, by Rádio Nacional - a Brazilian public broadcaster.

According to Moura, Brazil has unique characteristics that allow it to operate on several fronts in the aerospace sector. The Alcântara base, located 32 km away from the capital of Maranhão, São Luís, has a privileged geographic location, which generates space fuel savings in launches.

“We have one of the best locations in the world for space launches, both geographically and logistically. Brazilian and foreign companies are interested in these advantages. We expect in the second half of the year to have companies operating at Alcântara Spaceport,” said Moura.

In addition to offering logistics potential, the country has become a producer of monitoring and communication satellites, such as Amazonia-1 - launched in February last year. Moura also explained the start of operations at the spaceport will necessarily bring opportunities and progress for local communities, which will benefit from the creation of new demands.

“Every spaceport has a power of irradiation, of local benefits, including logistics and personnel training. We are sure Alcântara spaceport will be the radiator of a new technological hub in the region, as well as in the surroundings,” he noted.