03.06.2003 03:36
BRAZILIAN ACCELERATION FOR CYCLONE

Today, the project to launch Ukrainian booster rockets Cyclone-4 from the Alkantara space launch center in Brazil for commercial purposes enters the phase of practical implementation , the director general of Ukraine s National Space Agency said in a statement.Oleksandr Nehoda made his statement at a May 31 news conference to mark the end of a four-day official visit to Ukraine by Brazil s Minister for Science and Technology, Roberto Amaral, who came to Ukraine at the head of a representative delegation of government and parliament officials.

According to the President of Brazil s Space Agency, Luis Bevilaqua, the Cyclone-Alkantara project would start bringing substantial returns on the investment in four years.

His Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksandr Nehoda, shares that optimistic forecast, saying that with well-coordinated efforts by state and privately-owned companies of the two countries, the first Cyclone could be raised off from Alkantara as early as in four years from now.

In an interview with Defense Express, Nehoda also said the project calls for five to ten Cyclone launches from Alkantara every year. Aside from space industry companies, on Ukraine s part the project would also involve about a hundred metallurgical, machine-building and chemical industry enterprises in all some 30,000 workers and engineers. As part of the project, one of the most reliable booster rockets in the world, Ukraine s Cyclone-4, would be substantially improved and upgraded. Also, basic equipment for the Alkantara launch site would be designed and manufactured here in Ukraine.

All the expenditures involved in the project would be equally shared by the two partners, and loans and investments from private companies would be drawn in to expedite works under the project.

In a Defense Express interview, Mr. Bevilaqua said: Recently, we ve been approached by officials from a U.S. company about the possibility to deliver cargoes to the International Space Station from the Alkantara space launch site using Cyclones, which indicates that the course we d set was correct.

Minister for Science and Technology, Roberto Amaral said the Brazilian government has already picked up two state-owned companies to act as central coordinators in a concern to represent Brazil in a joint-venture company with Ukraine to manage the Cyclone-Alkantara project. The Ukrainian part of the joint-venture company would be led by the Cyclone-4 designer and manufacture companies, the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and the Yuzhmash rocket maker.

The chief of the Ukrainian-Brazilian joint-venture company is yet to be determined. According to Oleksandr Nehoda, Ukrainian-Brazilian company would be led by a highly competent professional who would suit the interests of both sides. The appointment is most likely to take place in three months from now, after a team of Ukrainian experts who are going to fly to Brazil in July complete their work there.

In October, President Leonid Kuchma is set to come for a working visit to Brazil. By that time, the Brazilian congressmen who accompanied Robero Amaral in his Ukrainian tour promised to do what they can to ensure that draft accords with Ukraine on the protection of technologies involved in the Cyclone-Alkantara project are ratified by the Parliament of Brazil.

On top of that, Ukraine and Brazil came to terms on launching joint programs in areas of biotechnology, information technologies and material science.

At a meeting at the Ukrainian Industrial Policy Ministry, the parties negotiated supplies of power engineering equipment to Brazil, as well as the possibility for the manufacture of gas turbines at Brazilian factories using Ukrainian technologies.

At the final news conference, the Brazilian team leader said Ukrainian companies are most likely to be granted licenses for the prospecting and production of oil and natural gas in Brazil. So far, the name of only one such company, Chernomorneftegaz, was revealed.

Also, understanding was reached to form a joint committee from representatives of government agencies to coordinate joint efforts and expedite the development of bilateral cooperation. The committee is scheduled to gather for its first session during preparations for Leonid Kuchma s working visit to Brazil.

(By Serhiy Chornous)