BRAZIL'S FIRST EVER ASTRONAUT TO MAKE SPACE FLIGHT IN 2006?

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 19 (RIA Novosti, Andrei Kurguzov) - Brazil hopes the flight to the International Space Station (ISS) on board a Russian Soyuz booster of its first ever astronaut will take place in the second part of 2006, Sergio Gaudenzi, the President of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), said in an exclusive RIA Novosti interview.

Russia and Brazil agreed in principle during a recent Brazilian visit by a Russian Space Agency delegation led by Agency deputy chief Viktor Remishevsky that Russia would provide assistance in arranging for the first Brazilian astronaut's flight to the ISS.

"Brazilian Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Marcos C. Pontes has undergone relevant training at NASA and is prepared to take a course in Russia's Stellar City (Moscow region)," said Gaudenzi.

"To take a Soyuz flight he has to learn to speak Russian, and Pontes is very enthusiastic about it. He said he would work hard while taking a course of training for Russian cosmonauts and promised to start speaking Russian in six months," said the president.

Financial issues hinder the project. Taking a commercial flight on a Soyuz costs an average of $20 million, but Brazil hopes the charge will be lowered for the Brazilian astronaut.

"Anyway, the financial aspect of the first Brazilian astronaut's flight will be settled by the government before the end of May or early June," said the BSA president.

Russia's space agency has invited Gaudenzi and Brazil's Science and Technology Minister Eduardo Campos to visit Russia in late June to finish talks. The Brazilian delegation will visit Baikonur, the launching site Russia leases from Kazakhstan, to watch a regular space booster launch.

Gaudenzi hailed the two countries' relations in the sphere of outer space.

He said Brazil appreciated Russian scientists' help in developing a new Brazilian booster and efforts to equip it with a liquid propulsion engine.

In addition, a team of Russian experts has been providing precious advice to their Brazilian colleagues at the Sao Jose dos Campos research center.

Gaudenzi said space cooperation with Russia was of strategic importance for Brazil's space industry.

"Modernizing the VLS booster with the help of Russian technology will allow to update the engine and raise the payload to 800 kg at the second stage," said the AEB chief.

"The third stage envisages the installation of a compound engine, and the payload will be raised to 1.5 tons. This will allow to place satellites to the geostationary earth orbit," said Gaudenzi.