China and Brazil strengthen their fruitful Earth Resources Exploration Satellite collaboration, as China pushes its aerospace sector

As the two nations celebrate the 36^th anniversary of their joint Earth Resources Exploration Satellite (CBERS) project, they vow to deepen collaboration on satellite development.

China and Brazil have announced plans to continue their highly fruitful collaboration to develop Earth-resource satellites as part of the construction of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation.

It follows a symposium on China-Brazil space cooperation, organized by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and held in Beijing on 5 February, during which the success of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Exploration Satellite (CBERS) project was highlighted. It also marked the 36th anniversary of CBERS.

The first satellite developed co-operatively between the two nations was launched in 1999 and was the first satellite developed jointly between China and any other country. It was recognized as one of China's top 10 scientific and technological achievements of that year.

A fruitful China-Brazil satellite collaboration

Since then, China and Brazil have jointly developed at least six earth-resource satellites, with CBERS-4 and CBERS-4A operating well in orbit and providing free data to developing countries and organizations in multiple sectors, including agriculture, forestry, geology, water resources, meteorology, and environmental protection. A protocol for developing CBERS-6 was announced in April 2023.

While no specific details for the latest extension of the cooperation have been released, China and Brazil noted that their successful collaboration on satellites could pave the way for cooperation on new projects in different industries.

Jose Raimundo Coelho, former president of the Brazilian Space Agency, who spoke at the summit, was recently awarded the Friendship Award of the Chinese government. He noted that cooperation would get closer, and would result in the launch of more satellites, adding that it was a great example of “South-South” cooperation.

The announcement comes at a time when China is pushing its aerospace credentials, which it sees as one of the latest driving forces in its economy.

China pushes its aerospace credentials on many fronts

For example, during 2023 China has been working to develop a reusable version of its Long March 9 heavy lift rocket, which is aimed at lifting large payloads into low-Earth orbit and to the Moon. The first launch date of this three-stage reusable rocket is scheduled for 2030. Part of its development is to help create a space-based solar power (SBSP) satellite, and to aid China’s Mars ambitions. Long March 10, meanwhile, which will be used for manned lunar landings, is scheduled for launch in 2027.

China has also developed new policies around extending its Tiangong space station, as it aims to develop large space platforms with multiple docking ports.

Notably, China also launched, on 15 December 2023, what US intelligence believes was its latest military spy satellite, Yaogan-41, which US military officials believe could be used to continuously monitor the Indo-Pacific. The satellite was launched on a modified Long March 5 launcher.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that it would be used for non-military purposes, such as agricultural monitoring. However, given the lack of fanfare around the launch, geo-positioning data, and the Chinese government’s history of using the name “Yaogan” for military-based satellites, US intelligence believes otherwise, according to news reports.

China sees aerospace as not just being important to its economy, but also to its defence and military operations, and is pushing rapidly ahead with developments in the sector.