Brazil and China will postpone their fourth joint satellite launching from 2010 to mid-2011, a Brazilian official said Wednesday.
Brazil and China established in 1988 a joint committee for the construction, launching and operation of satellites under the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite Program.
The program allows the two countries to gather information about the Earth’s environment, agriculture, urban development planning and water pollution.
At the initial phase, two satellites, CBERS-1 and CBERS-2, have been sent into space. The first one was launched in October 1999 and the second in October 2003.
In 2002, the two countries signed a new protocol of cooperation, starting the second phase of the partnership.
In September 2007, CBERS-2B was launched to maintain the supply of images in the period of time between the end of CBERS-2 operation and the launching of CBERS-3.
The first three satellites had 70 percent of their construction under China’s responsibility. The CBERS-3 and CBERS-4 will be equally shared between Brazil and China.
