The administrator of NASA, astronaut Charles Bolden, was at the National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE) in Sao Jose dos Campos (SP) Brazil, on Thursday, Oct. 27. On that occasion, it was signed a cooperation agreement on the GPM Program (Global Precipitation Measurements), an initiative of the U.S. Space Agency for global-scale study of rainfall from satellite data.
The agreement will open up a lot of possibilities for Brazilian participation in GPM Program, which will produce relevant data for forecasting and monitoring climate and weather changes. Among that, activities ranging from the joint research and studies, data validation and calibration, to the satellite mission completion to compose GPM constellation.
Besides the agreement on GPM, another cooperation agreement about ozone has been signed, in order to study atmosphere components concentration and to understand Earth ozone layer. Both agreements will be ratified by NASA and Brazilian Space Agency (Agência Espacial Brasileira – AEB).
Also it was addressed INPE’s proposal for the joint development with JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab), NASA, of an innovative satellite with high spectral resolution for studying biogeochemical properties of the soil, which is essential in assessing impact of human actions on ecosystems, such as forest fires and deforestation. The meeting agenda also includes possible partnerships in space weather, satellite tracking and environmental testing space equipment.
After meeting with INPE leaders, the U.S. Space Agency delegation visited Integration and Testing Laboratory (LIT) facilities, where SAC-D/Aquarius – Argentine satellite that takes onboard NASA equipment – has recently been tested.
Charles Bolden’s visit to INPE is also marked by meeting with students from public and private regional schools. The history of space exploration and the career as an astronaut and space shuttle pilot might inspire the kids, such as students from a municipal school in Ubatuba (SP), Brazil, who will launch a small satellite soon, with the support of INPE’s engineers. The lecture, scheduled at noontime, will be broadcast live over the internet.
This is the first time Charles Bolden visits Brazil. His coming is an offshoot of Barack Obama visit in March, aimed at identifies U.S. and Brazil partnerships.
Charles Bolden
Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden, Jr took over as the 12th Administrator of National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) on July 17, 2009. His 34-year career with the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office. After joining the office in 1980, he traveled to orbit four times aboard the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions. His flights included deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first joint U.S.-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew. Prior to Bolden’s nomination for the NASA Administrator’s job, he was employed as the Chief Executive Officer of JACKandPANTHER LLC.
A resident of Houston, Bolden was born Aug. 19, 1946, in Columbia, S.C. He graduated from C. A. Johnson High School in 1964 and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Bolden earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical science in 1968 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. After completing flight training in 1970, he became a naval aviator. Bolden flew more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, while stationed in Namphong, Thailand, from 1972-1973.
After returning to the U.S., Bolden served in a variety of positions in the Marine Corps in California and earned a master of science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977. In 1979 he was assigned to the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, and was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1980.
Bolden’s NASA astronaut career included a lot of positions. After his final space shuttle flight in 1994, he left the agency to return to active duty with the operating forces in the Marine Corps as the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Bolden was assigned as the Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the Pacific in 1997. During the first half of 1998, he served as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Forward in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. Bolden was promoted to his final rank of major general in July 1998 and named Deputy Commander of U.S. Forces in Japan. He later served as the Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., from 2000 until 2002, before retiring from the Marine Corps in 2003.
Bolden’s many military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006.
Source: Inpe