On Tuesday, August 6, the governments of Brazil and Chile signed a space collaboration agreement that will enable the exploration of new joint initiatives between the two countries in this field. The agreement was signed by Presidents Lula da Silva and Gabriel Boric during a ceremony held at the Cerrillos Air Base of the Chilean Air Force (FACh), where the Chilean National Space Center is being built.
During the event, the Chief of the Chilean Air Force (FACh), Air General Hugo Rodríguez González, emphasized that the initiative has “great significance and profound importance,” with the signing of a space collaboration agreement taking the integration of both countries’ space-related tasks and functions to a new level.
According to General Rodríguez, being involved in space “is now a national imperative,” adding that a country engaged in space activities “interacts with progress and becomes a development hub, fostering specialized employment with a direct impact on the economy and people’s lives.”
The Space Collaboration Agreement for peaceful purposes between Chile and Brazil was later signed by Chile’s Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, Aisén Etcheverry Escudero; Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Luciana Barbosa de Oliveira Santos; the presidents of both nations; and the Chief of the FACh.
The Brazilian president highlighted the “extensive relationship” between Brazil and Chile, asserting that it is “a shared project for the future.” He also noted that the space sector “is more strategic than ever for the development of a nation (…) No activity today is independent of space infrastructure; communications, energy generation, navigation, and climate change mitigation all rely heavily on space,” he pointed out.
For his part, the Chilean president expressed his satisfaction with the agreement, which will allow the two nations to “cooperate in space activities for peaceful purposes,” noting that the memorandum updates Chile’s capabilities in partnership with a strategic ally like Brazil. “We aim to deepen our exchange in space activities and promote joint research on our planet and the changes it is undergoing,” he stated.
It is worth noting that the future National Space Center (CEN) being constructed at the Cerrillos Air Base, which is part of the National Satellite System, will cover approximately 5,000 square meters. Its facilities will include a Mission Control Center, where satellites manufactured at this site will be operated. It will also feature a data laboratory with five data centers and two supercomputers.
*Photographs: Ministry of Defense of Chile.
You may also like: In response to the crisis in Venezuela, Chile will militarily reinforce its northern border in anticipation of a potential new wave of migration
