Brazil and China, with a nearly four-decade legacy of space collaboration, have advanced from launching satellites to embarking on cutting-edge deep space exploration, marked by the construction of a colossal radio telescope in northeastern Brazil.
Over the years, the two countries have enhanced space research through the exchange of expertise, scientific data, and the joint construction of satellites.
"We have already built six satellites and we are working on the seventh one," said Adenilson Roberto Da Silva, general coordinator of Space Technology, INPE.
It's a long-term collaboration shaped by daily cooperation on the ground.
"The Chinese were very welcoming. We really felt embraced and especially on a professional level," said Edilene Lira, civil engineer of BINGO radio telescope project.
"They respond very quickly. They like to communicate, that is they like to discuss," said Amilcar Queiroz, coordinator of BINGO radio telescope project.
It's also meaningful for getting two Global South countries working together in areas traditionally dominated by the North.
"It was a possibility for us, both countries, to show that a South-South partnership in high technology topics is meaningful and possible," said Marco Antonio Chamon, president of Brazilian Space Agency.
The CBERS satellites are the most advanced and visible aspect of the 37-year-old China-Brazil partnership in space. CBERS stands for Chines Brazilian Earth Resources Satellite. The project serves not only its partners, China and Brazil, but also governments, researchers, and individuals worldwide, who have free access to all the imagery it produces.
The CBERS images are the backbone of the PRODES and DETER systems, which analyze satellite pictures to acquire detailed data on the human impact on Brazil's environment, like the occurrence of deforestation and wildfires.
The program coordinator says the environment monitoring program was in its early stages when the China-Brazil partnership began — and that cooperation played a decisive role in its progress. The cameras developed through this partnership are specifically designed for the monitoring of Brazilian forests and biomes.
But there's more to this partnership than satellites. Another key project bringing Brazilian and Chinese scientists together is the construction of a massive radio telescope in Brazil's northeastern countryside.
The selected location is deep in Brazil's heartland - in the countryside of Paraiba state. This spot was chosen for a radio telescope for some key reasons: the hills and valleys help shield the equipment, and the remote location keeps it free from electromagnetic interference — like signals from cell phones and radios — that could affect its operation.
The civil engineering team has already prepared the site for the arrival of the equipment — much of it coming from China.
The radio telescope is also the centerpiece of a broader initiative to turn the region into a scientific hub - as the state secretary for science explained to us during a scientific conference held nearby.
"BINGO is not only for high-level research, but also to foster regional development based on science, technology, and innovation," said Claudio Furtado, Paraiba State Secretary for Science and Technology.
And as the radio telescope helps us look deeper into the universe, the partnership also continues to focus on something closer to home — using space to better understand and protect our own planet.
"We have now with China, our main partnership in space is building satellites, always trying to use the monitoring Earth in our benefit," said Chamon.
There are vast expanses of space to be explored — and space research also helps us better understand and protect the planet we call home. Brazil and China are good examples of how far international cooperation can take humankind's knowledge and technology.
China-Brazil enhance space collaboration, leading South-South cooperation
