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| Latin America |
| Brazil earthbound again in rocket disaster |
| 2003-08-23 |
| SAO LUIS, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil vowed to continue its space program on Saturday after 21 people died in a rocket explosion that ended the country’s third attempt to become a space power. Forgot they even HAD a space program... you’d think they had problems to solve closer to home, but then I guess that’s what everyone says about us. The unmanned rocket, designed to carry two satellites into orbit, blew up on Friday at the heavily guarded jungle base of Alcantara, in the northeastern state of Maranhao, after an engine ignited accidentally. "I pay homage to the workers who gave their lives in the name of the development of Brazil," Defense Minister Jose Viegas told a news conference in the state capital Sao Luis before solemnly reading out the names of the 21 dead. "We will continue the (space) program so that they did not die in vain," he said, adding that the site was still potentially dangerous due to spilled fuel. The minister said there would be an investigation into the cause of the explosion. Air force officials said the chance of sabotage was very remote. One hopes. Sixteen bodies had been found by early evening, officials said. Some were so badly damaged that they may need DNA testing to be identified. Nearly 800 people were on the site when the $6.5 million, 65-foot Satellite Launch Vehicle blew up. It was on a launch pad undergoing final tests after which it would have been ready for lift-off next week. Really is a darned shame. The Brazilian space budget for 2003 was $12 million. NASA spends that on dry cleaning. |
| Posted by:Mark IV |
| #1 Evidently, they haven't contacted the Chinese to find out how America solved these problems. |
| Posted by: Douglas De Bono 2003-8-24 12:01:11 AM |