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The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) wants to acquaint the population with the program it has been developing in the country. So it has been presenting an exhibit and the seminar, Brazil Conquering Space, in various capitals, starting with Recife and Brasília. This week was Rio's turn.
According to the president of the AEB, Sérgio Gaudenzi, the chief purpose of the Space Program is to observe the Earth. The images generated by the three Brazilian satellites, he informed, are mainly used to control deforestation and burnings and to help orient agricultural production by providing data on harvests. They are also used in urban planning and ocean control. The Brazilian Space Program includes a plan to develop a geostationary satellite to furnish basic meteorological and communications services (such as television and telephone transmissions). Geostationary refers to the fact that the satellite remains immobile at a fixed point in space. Brazil currently acquires these services by buying space in satellites belonging to foreign companies. According to Gaudenzi, Brazil may have its geostationary satellite by 2012. He explained that, in spite of the high cost, possessing the technology is a strategic matter for the country. Brazil is one of the 15 countries in the world that have space programs, and it is the only one of this type in Latin America. Agência Brasil
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