Cable from Brazilian Embassy in Washington to Foreign Ministry, 'Brazil-United States. Brazilian space program. Visit of the chairman of CTA to Brazil.'

From: Embassy in Washington                                         To: Exteriores

MSG OF 00223 A

CONFIDENTIAL

DMAE/DDS/DCTEC/DCS

Classification: MESP BRAS EUA

Date: 12/02/96

Brazil-United States. Brazilian

space program. Visit of the

chairman of CTA to Brazil.

Summary: Confirming the concrete interest of the company in the possibilities of working in Brazil, the president of CTA, an aerospace company, will begin a visit to Brazil next on the 12^th. Contacts are scheduled at the Brazilian Space Agency, the DEPED of the Ministry of the Air Force, Telebrás and the Committee on Science, Technology, Informatics and Communications of the House of Representatives.

223 21300 – Reference my cable 2166. Confirming concrete interest of CTA in the possibilities of cooperation with the activities of the Brazilian Space program, Dr. Tom Velez, President of the company, will begin a visit to Brazil next on the 12^th. The ambitious plans of CTA for its work in Brazil are on the agenda of the meetings to be held with Brazilian authorities, including the manufacture of 20 satellites with Brazilian technological input, the creation of infrastructure at the Alcântara center for the launching of satellites, the manufacture of sensors under license in Curitiba, as well as the development of telephone communications for rural areas.

2. Dr. Velez’s trip will follow up the contacts held on the 8^th and 9^th of this month in Argentina and the recent visit to Russia, from where he returned last on the 5^th. Dr. Velez’s appointments in Brasilia have already been scheduled by CTA’s manager for Brazil, Dr. Giorgio Giacaglia, who until a few months ago was the director of scientific and technological development of the Brazilian Space Agency.

3. The representatives of the American company will meet on the 12^th, at Telebrás, with Mr. João Mello, one of the persons in charge of the formulation of Project ECO-8. Next, they should meet with Brigadier-general Perola and the vice-director of CEPED at the Ministry of the Air Force, who I understand is about to become the Head of that Department. Finally, the visitors will attend a meeting at the ACB with Brigadier-general Ajax de Mello. On the following day, they will visit the Committee on Science, Technology, Informatics and Communications of the House of Representatives, at the invitation of its President, Congressman Barbieri.

4.  I believe that the interest of CTA is evidence of the growing interest in the development of the commercial utilization of CLA by companies from the aero-space sector of this country. The contacts to be held by Dr. Velez in Brasilia seem very important also because they may deal with the prospect for a triangulation of initiatives involving the remarkable Russian and Ukrainian capabilities in the launching sector.   

5.  The undeniable competitiveness and the technical trustworthiness of Russian and Ukrainian space equipment have been obtaining increased space in the American market, in spite of the resistance of sectors linked to national security which have gradually switched from the raising of categorical obstacles to the use of engines and other components from those countries to the search for norms that may condition that use in certain American programs. In this context, the possibility seems attractive that Brazil, thanks to the geographic advantage of Alcântara, may become a part of the competitive tripod payload-launching base that is apparently contemplated in the strategy of CTA.

PAULO TARSO