Brazil's
first astronaut will launch toward the International Space Station (ISS) in
March 2006 under an agreement with Russia's Federal Space Agency, Russian space
officials said Tuesday.
Lt. Col.
Marcus Pontes, of the Brazilian Air Force, is slated to ride up to the ISS
aboard a Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft with the crew of Expedition 13 under an
agreement signed Tuesday between the Federal Space Agency and Brazilian Space
Agency (Agencia Espacial Brasileiria).
"The
Brazilian cosmonaut's flight has been set for late March 2006 at the insistent
request of Brazil, which failed to launch its cosmonaut under a program of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)," said Federal Space
Agency chief Anatoly Perminov, according to Russia's Interfax News Agency.
Pontes, 42,
reported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas in 1998 to begin astronaut
training. He served with the Space Station Operations Branch of NASA's
Astronaut Office while awaiting a spaceflight assignment, according to NASA
officials.
In a
statement posted to their space agency's website, Brazilian space officials
said Pontes will carry about 33 pounds (15 kilograms) of scientific equipment
into orbit on his 10-day flight, and conduct a series of experiments before
returning to Earth with the Expedition
12 crew. He has already reported to Russia's Star City for cosmonaut
training and will spend eight days aboard the ISS, they added.
Expedition
12 commander Bill McArthur and flight engineer Valery Tokarev boarded
the ISS on Oct. 3 and are expected to spend at least six months in space before
returning to Earth aboard their Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft in early April.
Perminov
said Pontes' flight will cost about $20 million, though the final price will
depend on how busy his program will be, Interfax reported.
"The
program has not been confirmed yet," Perminov said according to Interfax.
Under the
joint agreement signed by Perminov and Brazilian Space Agency president Sergio
Gaudenzi, Russia and Brazil will also cooperate in the development of future rockets
and satellites, as well as ongoing work on the country's VLS-1 launch vehicle,
Brazilian space officials said.
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