Alessandra Peruzzo
Reporter Agência Brasil

São José dos Campos (SP) – A Russian committee is in Brazil to test the nine scientific experiments that Brazilian Air Force lieutenant coronel Marcos Pontes will take with him when he becomes the country's first astronaut in March aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. After examining the experiments, the Russians have suggested a series of modifications in order to ensure the safety of the mission.

The manager of the Russian Space Agency, Sergey Rybkin, praised the high level of the experiments, explaining that further testing would take place both in Brazil and in Russian before the launch. Rybkin added that space cooperation between Russian and Brazil should get a big boost with the Pontes flight which has been baptized the "Centenary" in honor of the 1906 flight by Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont.

Translation: Allen Bennett