Brazil, China to postpone joint satellite launching to 2011

BRASILIA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Brazil and China will postpone their fourth joint satellite launching from 2010 to mid-2011, a Brazilian official said Wednesday.

The two parties held a critical design review meeting a few days ago and decided to reschedule the date for launching the satellite CBERS-3, said Thyrso Villela, director of satellites, applications and development of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), in an interview with Xinhua.

Brazil and China established in 1988 a joint committee for the construction, launching and operation of satellites under the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) Program.

The program allows the two countries to gather information about the Earth's environment, agriculture, urban development planning and water pollution.

"The AEB is very happy about this fruitful cooperation between China and Brazil, which is the main cooperation program of our country," said Villela.

At the initial phase (1988-2003), two satellites, CBERS-1 and CBERS-2, have been sent into space. The first one was launched in October 1999 and the second in October 2003.