Brazil, Russia Agree To Send Brazilian Cosmonaut To Space

Brazil, Russia Agree To Send Brazilian Cosmonaut To Space


Moscow (AFP) Oct 04, 2005

Brazil and Russia have reached tentative agreement on sending a Brazilian
cosmonaut to space, possibly as early as April, a spokesman for the Russian
Space Agency was quoted as saying Tuesday by Russian news agencies.

"The Russian-Brazilian intergovernmental commission for trade, economic,
scientific and technical cooperation has signed a tentative agreement" to
send Brazilian cosmonaut Marcus Pontes to space aboard a Russian Soyuz
rocket, spokesman Vyacheslav Davidenko said.

"It is possible that the actual contract will be signed soon."
That contract could be signed during a visit to Russia by Brazilian
President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva later this month, the reports said,
quoting unnamed official sources.

Pontes will begin training at Russia's Star City, outside Moscow, for a
flight in a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station after the deal
is finalized.

The Brazilian cosmonaut has previously undertaken astronaut's training at
the US space centre in Houston in 2002.



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Jacques :-)

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