Brazil, Germany To
Develop Night-Vision
Radar Satellite
Brazil and Germany have
signed an agreement to
develop a night-vision
radar satellite to
observe the Amazon
region, the National
Space Research Institute
(INPE) said Sunday.
The INPE plans to build
the Multiple Application
Synthetic Aperture Radar
with the help of the
German Space Center over
18 months, in the second
satellite project
undertaken by the two
nations.
The 500-kg satellite,
which will cost 100
million euros (157
million U.S. dollars),
is capable of taking
photos at night or in
difficult weather
conditions, such as
heavy fog or smoke.
Brazil's Amazon region
is often cloudy and also
suffers frequent forest
fires.
According to the terms
of the agreement signed
last Monday, the
satellite will be
launched by 2013, the
INPE said.
Researchers involved in
the program will share
their technical
innovations during the
mission, it added.
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