Air Force Commander Presents Alcântara Space Center to Elon Musk

During the "Connecting the Amazon” event, hosted by the Government of Brazil, the Commander of the Brazilian Air Force presented the capabilities of the Alcântara Space Center and the possibilities of a private sector partnership to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and other businessmen.

The Air Force Commander showed that the Alcântara Space Center is ready to receive launch vehicles from commercial companies, such as SpaceX, and explained the advantages associated with the operation of Alcantara.

Among those advantages, the following were highlighted: lower cost of operations; proximity to the sea; the location of approximately 2º18' south of the Equator, enabling launches in polar and equatorial orbits; low population density; and ideal location for on-demand launches.

On the occasion, the possibility of a partnership for the development and operation of low-orbit remote sensing satellites to support operations for the protection of the Brazilian Amazon was also discussed thoroughly.

According to the Brazilian Air Force, SpaceX could contribute to the preservation of the environment, help invest in carbon credits, and aid in protecting Brazil's Native Communities, in addition to carrying out launch operations from the Brazilian territory.

SpaceX is a leader in the commercial launch market and could become a key partner in space vehicle launch operations from Brazilian territory. The company has also been selected to send the Lessonia satellites, which will be operated by the Brazilian Air Force, to space.

Another area of interest is the installation of a Space Monitoring System, in order to improve the security of satellite operations. A network of sensors, operated by Brazil, to monitor, from the southern hemisphere, the Brazilian government's satellite fleet.

The Alcântara Space Center consists of a set of goods and services used to launch commercial space vehicles from Brazilian territory, providing the necessary infrastructure to support certain specific activities of launch companies.