Brazilian space agency, and Amazon Web Service Sign Strategic Intent Statement

The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) signed a Term of Strategic Intent and Cooperation. The initiative, with which the Brazilian Embassy in Washington also collaborated, is the first of its kind for AWS in Latin America and will support innovation and continued growth in the country’s space industry.

AEB plays an important role in the Latin American context, being responsible for a wide variety of space activities related to space transport, satellites, research and applications. AEB has supported the strengthening of the Brazilian infrastructure for rocket launch, production and exploration of space systems. It also supports educational and research activities in astronautical and related sciences. In addition, AEB is a bilateral partner of NASA in ionospheric research and a signatory to the Artemis Agreements for the joint exploration of the Moon.

The cooperation between AEB and AWS outlines three specific areas of collaboration designed to support the Agency’s goals for long-term economic and technological development. These educational, economic and political initiatives will benefit the Brazilian government, Brazilian commercial space organizations and space-focused startups.

Initiatives include:

1. The Brazil/AWS Space Collaboration for Economics and Development (B/ASCEnD). Through this initiative, the Brazilian Space Agency and AWS will work together to promote the growth of the Brazilian space industry by establishing national space research and development (R&D) programs, providing training resources and boosting startups. Specifically, AWS will offer interested parties access to the AWS Activate Program and the AWS Activate Founders Program, both of which provide credits, technical training, and business support to eligible startups. This effort also gives professionals access to AWS training and certification programs.

The initiative also creates an opportunity for AEB and AWS to identify promising space technology initiatives that can support the goals of other government organizations. The purpose behind this collaboration is to foster innovation for future missions related to science, space exploration and national security.

2. The AWS Open Data Sponsorship Program. This initiative aims to encourage collaboration between the Brazilian Space Agency and its partners, creating a centralized repository of spatial data. This will allow stakeholders to easily access and analyze space data, using cloud tools and technologies, in support of a variety of Brazilian space endeavors.

3. Policy, Strategy and Regulatory Support for Spatial Development. The Brazilian Space Agency and AWS will engage in discussions on national policies, strategies and regulatory measures in support of Brazil’s civil, commercial and national security space objectives.

“The agreement between the Brazilian Space Agency and Amazon Web Services is a concrete initiative towards greater integration of the Brazilian private sector and our aerospace industry with the American innovation ecosystem, the most advanced in the world in the space area”, said the ambassador. of Brazil in Washington, Nestor Forster Jr. “The Embassy will remain committed to strengthening space cooperation with the United States, which produces results for Brazil in the economic and technological spheres”, he added.

“The agreement with AWS is an important step towards promoting our space industry, at a time when Brazil aims to enter more strongly in the space market, such as, for example, in the space access segment, with the Alcântara spaceport” , said Carlos Augusto Teixeira de Moura, president of the Brazilian Space Agency.

The CLA is also known as the Brazilian Window to Space. Its location, on the north Atlantic coast of Brazil, is considered ideal for launching satellites and rockets, as it is located just 2 degrees south of the equator. Earth’s faster rotational speed near the equator allows spacecraft to reach the speed needed to enter orbit using less propellant. The location of the CLA is also great thanks to the absence of extreme weather events and low air traffic density. CLA is used for activities that include spacecraft integration, final payload testing, rocket launches, mission logistical support, weather forecasting, tracking, command and control, and telemetry.

This Statement of Strategic Intent is the latest step in AWS’ long-term commitment to Brazil and Latin America, uniting the public and private sectors through the power of cloud computing services to promote IT modernization, innovation , economic development, education and creation of the workforce and employment. In 2020, AWS announced an investment of BRL 1 billion to expand data centers in São Paulo and strengthen infrastructure in South America. That same year, Brazil was the first country in Latin America and the second in the Western Hemisphere to offer AWS EdStart, the AWS Educational Technology (EdTech) program that helps EdTech startups build teaching and learning solutions on the AWS cloud.

“AWS is proud to support Brazil’s mission to drive innovation and growth in the space industry,” said Jeff Kratz, general manager for the Latin America, Canada and Caribbean regions and the global public sector at AWS. “This agreement provides tools, training and education that will help ensure that Brazil continues to be a space leader in Latin America for generations to come.”