Description
This article investigates the impact of international cooperation on Brazil’s space program, specifically addressing the question: how does such cooperation influence the development of Brazil’s space capabilities? The hypothesis suggests that, as an emerging power in the space sector, Brazil faces constraints in developing an autonomous program. In this context, international partnerships may be crucial in enabling more ambitious projects through cost-sharing and technology transfer. After a literature review on the global political dynamics surrounding space governance and cooperation, particularly in the Brazilian context, we conducted a systematic analysis of the program’s activities in satellite development. Using official government and media sources, we identified and examined international partnerships and their characteristics, creating a comprehensive database of Brazil’s international cooperation agreements in the space sector. This analysis underscores the importance of bilateral and multilateral agreements for fostering partnerships, co-development, and technology sharing. Preliminary findings indicate that one of the program’s most successful projects resulted from a partnership with China, suggesting that cooperation may be instrumental, though not all collaborations have yielded concrete outcomes.
