A r t i g o
2nd Asian Space Conference
Hanoi, Vietnam, 8-11 November 2005
Brazilian-Chinese Cooperation
on Earth Resource Observation
José Monserrat Filho
Brazilian Association of Air and Space Law (SBDA)
Brazilian Association for the Advancement of Science (SBPC)
<monserrat@alternex.com.br>
Why have Brazil and China decided to set up the China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS) in 1986, and signed the respective Protocol in 1988?
Brazil and China are developing countries;
They wanted to dominate the remote sensing satellite technology instead of being only users of it; China had then a long lack of a home-made resource satellite and Brazil aimed at becoming independent in remote sensing imagery;
Brazil, emerging from a long military regime, sought to abandon the Cold War logic and establish new international partnerships;
China, while it was totally dedicated to its great internal reform, it was also seeking new international partnerships to develop advanced technologies;
Brazil and China strongly supported (and continue to support, of course) the peaceful uses of outer space and international space cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, mutual complementarities and common development;
They negotiated the CBERS project during two years (1986-1988), exchanging important technical information and visiting each other’s facilities, and they concluded that both sides had all the human, technical and material conditions to jointly develop an Earth resource observation satellite program;
At that time, this kind of technological cooperation was considered, impossible to be set up between a developing and a developed country, mostly because of the crucial question of technology transfer;
Brazilian-Chinese space cooperation is seen as the first high technology program between developing countries and may be an example and a reference for other developing countries;
Why has the CBERS-1 been launched only in 1999 and the CBERS-2 in 2003?
In the 1989-1992 period, the program did not receive from the Brazilian side the duly attention it required;
The Brazilian government refused to finance its part in the project. So it remained effectively paralyzed;
There were many delays in the working schedule, for which Brazil was the main responsible;
However, a part of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the then Brazilian Ambassador in China, Roberto Abdenur, defended tirelessly the preservation of the space program with China, backed by INPE management personnel.
In the end of 1992, President Fernando Collor, who was against the CBERS program, was impeached by the National Congress, being forced to leave the government charged with corruption;
His successor, Vice-President Itamar Franco, even before he was inaugurated, had shown an enthusiastic intention to support CBERS;
In December 1992 and January 1993, CBERS operational contacts were reestablished and the project conditions reorganized;
A Supplementary Protocol signed in Brasilia on March 5, 1993, by Brazilian and Chinese Foreign representatives made the official renewal of the space cooperation program come true.
CBERS survived its first (and worst) crisis.
The 1993 Supplementary Protocol expressed the will of both sides to accelerate the implementation of the project;
According to the Protocol, the CBERS-1 was scheduled to be placed in orbit by October 1996;
However this plan could not be accomplished, but that was mostly for technical and other causes, rather than financial reasons;
In 1995, for instance, ESCA (a branch of the American Raytheon Corporation in Brazil), the chief Brazilian company contracted to produce the equipment for CBERS, went bankrupt;
Anyway, a great work was done – in technical, as well as in political and legal areas – since 1993 to October 1999, when finally the CBERS-1 was successfully launched from the Chinese base in Taiyuan.
What are the most important lessons learned from this long period?
It is quite necessary to be patient, flexible, wise, creative, and insistent at the same time;
Be patient in order to not rush into the ending of a critical and controversial situation before exhausting all resources to resolve it positively, and to overcome all political and technical difficulties;
Be flexible, wise, and creative in order to search and find different solutions able to solve the most difficult problems, even those apparently insurmountable;
Be insistent and determined in order to achieve the expected results, if both parties are surely convinced of the great potential of the objectives pursued;
For instance, the Chinese government seemed to be very patient, wise and insistent in dealing with the crisis that had befallen the CBERS project in the 1989-1992 period;
China had the right to demand Brazil the payment of a fine, as a reparation in regard to the delay on the implementation of CBERS, but this claim was never formalized;
Probably, the Chinese decided to rather bet on the hope of a change of position by the Brazilian government in time, than on the risk of taking the controversies to a point of no return, and thereby losing everything that had been achieved so far;
It is always useful and convenient to take into account that we are developing countries...
All these experiences have strengthened the Brazilian-Chinese relationship;
In November 1994, Brazil and China signed the Framework Agreement on Cooperation in The Peaceful Applications of Outer Space Science and Technology;
In 1995, a contract has substantiated that Brazil will also have autonomy in the tracking and command processes of the CBERS satellites;
In 1995, were also signed the Agreement on Technical Security in connection with the joint development of CBERS satellites, and a Minute of Understanding on the possibility of the development of two additional satellites – CBERS-3 and CBERS-4
In 1999, the CBERS-1 was launched;
In 2002, a Complementary Protocol to the 1994 Framework Agreement on the Continuity of the Joint Development of CBERS satellites was signed, committing Brazil and China to develop the CBERS-3 and CBERS-4;
It remains in force for five years and is renewable automatically for equal periods;
If China took up 70% of the project’ costs, in the CBERS-1 and 2, in the CBERS-3 and 4 both parties will share 50% of the costs and will have equal rights to utilize their products;
The Protocol admits the possibility of launching the CBERS-4 from the Brazilian Alcantara Launch Center;
CBERS-2 was also successfully launched from Taiyuan in October 2003;
A new Protocol was signed in November 2005 defining the goal of CBERS application system, including the commercialization of CBERS products to third countries; the Chinese National Space Administration and Brazilian Space Agency are chosen to implement this Protocol;
"CBERS Data Policy", annexed to this Protocol, establishes the policy to commercialize the CBERS data;
It includes provisions for receiving, processing and disseminating CBERS images to countries other than Brazil and China;
According to the policy, CBERS images will be made available to any country or organization through a network of licensed representatives operating an application system which can receive and process the CBERS data;
The CBERS Onboard Data Recorder (OBDR) will be operated exclusively by the Chinese Center for Resource Satellite Data and Applications (CRESDA) and INPE;
Each ground station will receive raw data only for specific regions as determined by agreement contracts and will then process them into image products, which will be distributed to users;
Another Protocol was signed at the same time (November 2005) establishing the development and launching of CBERS-2B by 2006 in order to prevent any interruption between the end of the CBERS-2’s time life and the beginning of the CBERS-3;
The CBERS-3 is planned to be launched by 2008 and CBERS-4 by 2010.
Since 1988, China and Brazil have invested US$ 300 million in CBERS-1 and 2 – US$ 182 million by China; US$ 118 million by Brazil;
CBERS 2B will cost US$ 34 million to China and US$ 15 million to Brazil.
How to assess the framework Brazil and China have created to distribute and commercialize the CBERS images in both countries and abroad?
It seems to be a very simple, efficient and competitive system;
The downlink date is open to any country or organization;
The date of downlink for CBERS will be carried out through a ground station;
Access fee is charged on a Landsat-like basis; one flat annual fee for complete access to all dates in the antenna’s footprint;
Distribution in areas within the antennas’s footprint is the responsibility of the ground station operator;
There is no additional charge for image distribution;
Ground station operators are encouraged to distribute CBERS dates free of charge on the Web;
China and Brazil may, in special cases, upon mutual consultation, decide on the transfer of date free of charge;
Brazil has promised to provide CBERS dates free of charge to Mozambique, Angola and other former Portuguese Colonies;
The revenues resulting from the distribution of CBERS dates will be equally shared between China and Brazil.
What are the impacts of the free distribution of CBERS images on the Brazilian territory?
Brazil develops a rich experience regarding data satellite as "public good". CBERS-2 images have been distributed freely within the country.
Since June 2004 more than 150,000 images were distributed in the Brazilian territory to more than 14,000 users – more than 2,000 institutions;
Among these institutions only 5 took 2% of the images and 25 took between 2% and 0.5%;
The average of requests for CBERS data is about 800 per week; over 2,100 images are downloaded per week; each user takes 10,5 images;
22.9% of the demand for CBERS images is from government entities; 25.9% from educational and research institutions; and 51.2% from the private sector, including companies and individuals;
At the XII Brazilian Symposium on Remote Sensing, held in 2005, more than 70 papers involving the use of CBERS data were presented;
Thus, Brazil has largely been disseminating the culture of utilization of remote sensing data in the most different forms, and creating a wide and equitable internal market for its products;
Formerly, it used to purchase 20,000 images from Spot-5 and 12,000 from Landsat, and distribute 1,000 Landsat images each year;
This policy will last at least two years.
CBERS Orbit
• Sun synchronous
• Height: 778 km
• Inclination: 98.48 degrees
• Period: 100.26 min
• Equator crossing time: 10:30 AM
• Revisit: 26 days
• Distance between adjacent tracks: 107 km
CBERS-2 sensors
High Resolution Imaging Camera (CCD)
Resolution: 20 meters
Field of view: 120 km
Temporal frequency: 26 days (can be improved);
Applications: vegetation, agriculture, environment, water resources, cartography, geology and soil, education
Infrared Multispectral Scanner (IRMSS)
Resolutions: 80 and 160 meters
Applications: analysis of phenomena that present surface temperature modifications; generation of state region mosaics; generation of image charts
Wide Field Imager (WFI)
It captures big territories of more than 900km
Applications:
It generates state region and national mosaics;
It generates vegetation indexes for monitoring purposes; monitoring of dynamical phenomena like agricultural harvest, persistent fires;
It acts as an alert system, indicating the need of acquisition of higher resolution images from the CCD or IRMSS cameras;
It acts in joint operation with other world data collecting systems of low to medium resolution.
Unfortunately, on April 13, 2005, one of two batteries of the CBERS-2 satellite stopped working;
This failure is continuously interfering directly in the data provided by the satellite, especially when its solar panels are not receiving sunlight;
Today only the CCD sensor is operating (90% of the requested images are supplied by this camera);
Thus, the launch of the CBERS-2B is more than necessary, it is pressing;
It will be integrated and tested in Brazil;
Its launching is scheduled for October 2006, from China;
• The CBERS-2B will have a new High Resolution Camera (HRC) – 2.5m; it will replace the IRMSS scanner;
• CCD (20 m) and WFI (250 m) remain, as in CBERS-2.
CBERS-3 and 4 sensors
CBERS-3 and 4 satellites represent an evolution of CBERS-1 and 2.
Four cameras will be present in the payload module, with improved geometrical and radiometric performance:
PanMux Camera-PANMUX, Multi-spectral Camera-MUXCAM, Scanning Medium Resolution Scanner-IRSCAM and Wide Field Imaging Camera-WFICAM.
The orbits of the two satellites will be the same as for CBERS-1 and 2.
PanMux Camera (PANMUX)
Swath width - 60 km
Spatial resolution - 5 m and 10 m
Mirror pointing capability - ± 32ºImage
Data bit rate - 140 Mbit/s and 100 Mbit/s
Muiti-Spectral Camera (MUXCAM)
It is an upgrade of the CCD of CBERS-1 and 2
Swath width - 120 km
Spatial resolution - 20 m
Mirror pointing capability - ± 32º/None (TBC) Image data bit rate - 68 Mbit/s
Infrared Multispectral Scanner (IRMSS)
It is an upgrade of the IRMSS of the CBERS-1 and 2
Swath width - 120 km
Spatial resolution - 40 m and 80 m (Thermal Band) Image data bit rate - 16 Mbit/s
Wide Field Imager (WFI)
It is an upgrade of the WFI of the CBERS-1 and 2
Swath width - 866 km
Spatial resolution - 73 m
Image data bit rate - 50 Mbit/sC
How to assess this cooperative program taken the viewpoint of the 1986 Remote Sensing Principles and the 1996 Space Benefits Declaration?
The CBERS program seems to be in full accordance with the 1986 Remote Sensing Principles;
It is clearly committed to be carried out both for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and to take into particular considerations the needs of the developing countries;
It is founded on International Law, including the UN Charter, and the 1967 Outer Space Treaty;
The CBERS Data Policy is in accordance with the Principle IV, specially the respect with the full and permanent sovereignty of all States and peoples over their own wealth and natural resources;
That is because the central CBERS concept is to distribute images made on the territory of a country only to that particular country;
The images distributed within the distributor’s national market may not be exported abroad;
The CBERS is in accordance with the Principle XII, as it establishes that the sensed State will have easy and full access to data concerned to the territory under its jurisdiction;
The CBERS is in accordance with Principles V, VI, VII and XIII, as Brazil and China are committed to develop the CBERS application system infrastructure in other countries and to intensify international cooperation, specially with developing countries;
The CBERS Program is in accordance with the 1996 "Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interest of All States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing Countries", whereby all its main points are fulfilled:
1) Common benefit clause;
2) Cooperation based on free determination and equitable and mutually acceptable conditions;
3) Particular attention to developing countries and countries with incipient space programs;
4) Cooperation considered most effective and appropriate by the countries concerned;
5) Promoting the development of space technology and its applications; fostering the development of relevant and appropriate space capabilities in interested States; facilitating the exchange of expertise and technology among States on a mutually acceptable basis;
6) Appropriate use of space applications and international cooperation for reaching a development goal in each country;
7) Brazil and China fully support the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), as a forum committed to stimulate as much as possible the international space cooperation.
How to evaluate the future of Brazilian-Chinese space co-operation?
CBERS Program became a long reach cooperative system; we can expect for CBERS-5, 6, 7...
Brazil and China consider their collaborative efforts a "strategic partnership";
Both countries have signed 15 bilateral agreements, protocols and minutes of understanding since 1982;
Maybe it is time to elaborate and sign a bilateral agreement on protection of intellectual property; it can be another good example of developing countries’ cooperation in an extremely crucial field.
Thank you for your kind attention!
