Global Times: Practitioners' Insights: China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite project vividly presents South-South cooperation in starry sky

BEIJING, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "When I see more countries building up the confidence and determination to develop space technology after cooperating with China; when I find that China's space technology can truly benefit more people's livelihood; when China's Long March series of carrier rockets successfully send international satellites into space; and when I receive more and more gratitude and praise from international counterparts, as a practitioner of President Xi Jinping's philosophy of 'technology for good purposes,' I feel deeply proud."

Li Xiangyu is a senior engineer at the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). His daily work involves advancing cooperation projects between China's space sector and international space agencies, providing launch services for international users. Among these, the China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS) project, which he participated in, is hailed as "a model of high-tech South-South cooperation." This series of satellites, originating in the 1980s, now not only helps China and Brazil achieve "spatial data freedom," but also benefits a large number of developing countries, empowering their development through space technology.

As the launch service manager of the CBERS project, in his exchanges with international counterparts, Li feels that the CBERS is like "a bright star in the night sky." The project offers guidance and hope to many developing countries: Even if a country has a weak aerospace industry foundation, it can still develop space technology through international cooperation frameworks such as South-South cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi, pursuing its dreams in the vast expanse of space.

The fourth volume of the book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China includes part of an important speech delivered by President Xi on May 28, 2021, at the joint session of the 20th Meeting of the Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 15th Meeting of the Members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 10th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology. President Xi stated, "We should participate to the full in global science and technology governance, contribute Chinese wisdom, and shape a philosophy of technology for good purposes, so that science and technology better serve human wellbeing, and enable China's science and technology industry to contribute more to building a global community of shared future." 

In conversations with Global Times reporters, Chinese and Brazilian engineers in the CBERS project shared their personal journeys. In their view, the project is a prime example of putting the philosophy of "technology for good purposes" into practice.

"We have learned from our experience that China cannot ask for buy, or beg for core technologies in key fields from other countries. Only by holding these technologies in our own hands can we ensure economic security, national security and security in other areas." This crucial statement in the article "Make China a Global Center for Science and Innovation," which was included in the third volume of the book, had a profound impact on Li.

In the 1980s, China and Brazil, both major developing countries, had significant needs in cutting-edge technology fields. However, due to a lack of key technologies, their developments were constrained by technological barriers imposed by developed nations. Against this backdrop, the two countries signed a cooperation agreement in 1988, formally initiating the development of the CBERS.

According to Li, the CBERS-1 satellite was China's first international cooperative satellite. Through its development, China's space sector broke through numerous key satellite technologies, achieving independent control over core technologies and marking a crucial step forward in China's remote sensing satellite capabilities.

For Brazil, this cooperation also freed the country from long-term dependence on foreign sources for remote sensing satellite data. "In 1980s, both Brazil and China already recognized the strategic importance of space technologies for national development, thus began to promote their aerospace projects. However, back then China was seeking to expand its technological capabilities in space, while Brazil was advancing its national satellite program," said Antonio Carlos Pereira Jr, the coordinator of the Space Segment of the CBERS Program and also head of the Small Satellites Division at the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

Antonio told the Global Times that the CBERS project is a significant milestone in space cooperation between the two countries, representing technological synergy and progress among emerging nations.

After a decade of development, the CBERS-1 satellite was launched in October 1999. It had operated in orbit for nearly five years, achieving its expected results. Subsequently, the two countries continued the cooperation, successfully launching CBERS-2, CBERS-2B, CBERS-2C, CBERS-4, and CBERS-4A satellites all of which successfully acquired Earth observation images. During this process, China gradually advanced from following to leading in space technology, establishing a comprehensive space industrial system. Brazil also gained access to large amounts of high-resolution satellite remote sensing imagery through this cooperation to serve its own development and progressively enhance its autonomous space capabilities.

"In the early stages, China-Brazil cooperation was not viewed favorably by international opinion. However, the Chinese and Brazilian teams worked hard together, more than doubling the CBERS-1 satellite's orbital design lifespan. This ability to 'turn challenges into opportunities' is a vivid manifestation of the spirit of self-reliance and self-strengthening," Li said.

In the article "Make China a Global Center for Science and Innovation," President Xi also emphasized, "Science and technology respond to the call of the times and have a global impact, so we should have a global vision in developing them. Rivers and seas are big because they never reject the small streams that flow in. Independent innovation should be pursued in an open environment, rather than behind closed doors." 

Since its inception in 1988, China and Brazil have always upheld principles of openness and equality in their cooperation model, which respects Brazil's technological contributions while also accumulating valuable international cooperation experience for China's space sector, Li said. 

During the interview, Antonio shared an unforgettable case with the Global Times. Following the unsuccessful launch of CBERS-3 in 2013, Chinese and Brazilian teams coordinated rapidly and responded intensely. Through high-intensity work, they successfully developed and launched CBERS-4 in less than a year. "That was an extraordinary achievement that reaffirmed the commitment and synergy between the two countries," Antonio said. 

Antonio believes that one of the most valuable aspects of the CBERS project has been the mutual exchange of experience and the development of skilled professionals. The joint work between INPE and the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) teams in satellite system design, as well as during integration and testing activities, created an environment highly conducive to technical knowledge exchange, sharing of best practices, and the establishment of long-lasting professional relationships based on mutual trust and respect, he said. 

"These collaborative experiences have significantly contributed to the training of highly qualified professionals in both countries, helping to build a new generation of engineers and scientists with practical experience in international space projects." he noted.

Today, as a global public good, the CBERS project provides robust support for developing countries to address common human challenges.

"Given Brazil's vast territory, the CBERS satellites have become indispensable tools for environmental monitoring and disaster response, both within the country and internationally," Antonio explained, further noting that projects developed using CBERS data, such as the official Brazilian deforestation monitoring program (PRODES) monitors annual deforestation rates in the Amazon and serves as a reference for environmental policymaking. The Real Time Deforestation Detection System (DETERP) program generates near real-time alerts of illegal deforestation, enabling immediate action by law enforcement agencies. 

In Li's view, a major innovation of CBERS is the establishment of a free and open data-sharing mechanism. Under this mechanism, China and Brazil not only provide satellite data to each other free of charge but have also extended data sharing to developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and beyond. 

This open data policy reflects the philosophy of "technology for good purposes," promoting equity in access to essential information for improving the well-being of both local populations and the global community, Antonio said. "By reducing technological disparities and fostering joint responses to global challenges, such as climate change, CBERS project plays an irreplaceable role in building a community with a shared future for mankind, reinforcing peaceful space cooperation and strengthening science as a collective tool for progress."

"In this context, China further consolidates its position as one of the major space powers. Through CBERS, Brazil and China demonstrate that cooperation, rather than competition, can be the true driver of progress, shaping a more just, sustainable, and technologically balanced world," Antonio said.

The Global Times learned that the CBERS project will play an even greater role in environmental and climate monitoring in the future. It will help humanity gain a deeper understanding of natural changes such as droughts, floods, and storms, providing precise, real-time data to address common challenges such as food security, energy security, health, and climate change, thereby promoting balanced development worldwide.

"CBERS is a clear example that joint efforts in science and technology can produce tangible benefits, not just for the countries involved, but for humanity as a whole," Antonio said.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202506/1335283.shtml

SOURCE Global Times