Happy Monday! This week, Brazil’s space program one step closer to getting into the microsatellite game. A disastrous decade for Brazilian industry. China’s beef ban and its impact on Brazilian exports.
… One giant leap for Brazil’s aerospace industry
Brazil has reached an important milestone in its quest to enter the business of launching nano and microsatellites (which weigh up to 10 kilos or 10-100 kilos, respectively). The Space and Aeronautics Institute successfully ran the first test on the S50 engine, the biggest rocket engine ever built in the country, designed to burn up to 12 tons of fuel.
- The engine will power Brazil’s VLM-1 microsatellite launching vehicle, the crown jewel of the country’s space program.
Why it matters. Small satellites are cheaper and easier to build than traditional ones and could boost Brazil’s inchoate space program. They can be used for the real-time monitoring of land activities — in areas such as the environment, security and espionage, logistics, or machine-to-machine systems.
By the numbers. Per consultancy firm ASD Reports, the small satellite market is expected to grow from USD 2.3 to 5.7 billion by 2026, at a compound annual growth rate of 20.4 percent.
Investment. The VLM-1 program was...