BRAZIL SPACE STATION

BRAZIL is ready to launch small commercial rockets from its space base near the equator as soon as it agrees to safeguard US technology that is dominant in the industry, the Brazilian Air Force officer managing the space program said on Friday.

Brig. Maj Luiz Fernando said Brazil wants to get a piece of the $300 billion a year space launch business by drawing US companies interested in launching small satellites at a lower cost from the Alcantara base on its north coast.

''The microsatellite market is most attractive today and we are interested in the 50 to 500 kilo niche,'' Agular told Reuters at the base's main launch pad.

''We are developing a rocket for microsatellites. For that this tower is totally ready.''

Space cooperation between the United States and Brazil took a big step forward when they signed a   Space Situational Awareness [SSA] agreement last month during a visit to Brasilia by US Defence Secretary James Mattis.

The accord on sharing real time tracking data on objects and debris in space is needed develop a satellite launching business without the risk of collision.

Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp in December visited the Alcantara space center, which is especially attractive to smaller firms, such as Tucson, Arizona-based  rocket-maker Vector Launch Inc, because its equatorial location cuts fuel costs by a third allowing heavier payloads.

But Brazil plans to become a hub in the space industry will depend on including technology safeguard agreement [TSA] with the United States to protect sensitive American space launch and satellite technology, Agular said.

Without it, no US rocket can blast off from the South American country.

A previous attempt at a US-Brazilian space partnership was scuttled in 2003 when the TSA ran into resistance from the leftist government of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and was thwarted by Brazilian lawmakers.

Agular said the agreement floundered because it allowed the US unverified access to the Alcantara base that was not acceptable on sovereignty grounds.

A new Brazilian proposal under consideration by the US government will be more ''palatable''  to the Brazilian Congress.

The TSA is seen by Washington aas opening opportunities for greater cooperation in aerospace and defence between two countries.

The market for small satellite launches is expected to grow fast in the next few years and the US space industry is keen to see new launch capacities in the world and a quick resolution to the negotiation of the TSA with Brazil. [Agencies]