NASA to expand partnership with Brazil in monitoring Amazon
Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA, the U.S. National Aeronautics Space Administration, will tour the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and Embraer facilities in São Paulo today (Jul. 25). Following this, in-depth discussions will take place between scientists from both countries.
On Monday (24), Nelson held a meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Planalto presidential palace in Brasília. The main focal point of the discussion was NASA's interest in expanding their partnership with Brazil, with a specific focus on monitoring the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and implementing preservation measures.
"Our satellites already send a lot of images and information to scientists here in Brazil to locate the destruction of the forest and we will launch, in the future, three new satellites that will greatly increase the ability to identify and prevent deforestation," Bill Nelson told the press after the meeting.
Lula is expected to have a phone conversation with President Joe Biden to further discuss the topics covered in the meeting. This phone call is anticipated to take place later this week.
Among the potential collaborations discussed, Nelson emphasized the possibility of leveraging NASA's advanced instruments to enhance agricultural productivity by detecting humidity levels in the soil and air and identifying pests.
Aerospace cooperation
After the meeting, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Luciana Santos, explained that any type of partnership in forest monitoring depends on the approval of the scientific authorities that follow the Brazilian aerospace policy. These authorities, aligned with Brazil's aerospace policy, will determine the appropriate use of equipment and systems and assess the viability of data exchange.
Santos also highlighted the upcoming launch of a new synthetic radar, capable of capturing images through cloud cover, which will significantly aid efforts to combat deforestation in the Amazon. The commitment of INPE in providing accurate information for this purpose was reiterated. She expressed Brazil’s support towards all types of “technological advances able to guarantee the best monitoring of our forest.”
Brazil aims to showcase its potential in the space industry to American authorities. "Our nation boasts companies with robust production capacity, equipped to supply NASA, alongside cutting-edge aerospace technology. This collaboration stands as a paramount objective that Brazil eagerly seeks to establish," Santos conveyed.
