There are almost 20 years Brazil and Ukraine began (with the Framework Agreement on the Cooperation of Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, 1999) an approach to a project that seemed good for both: the launch of a Ukrainian satellite using the Alcântara base. From this approximation, created the binational company Alcântara Cyclone Space (ACS). In 2003 Finally, the company was created with an investment of approximately R$ 480 million by the Brazilian government.
Even though the project seemed to be so good for both parties, didn't go forward. There are several explanations for this, but one of the most important is the pressure placed by the US on Ukraine not to move forward with the project. In a telegram (vasado hair Wikileaks) from the USA to its embassy in Brasilia in 2009 advised that the country was not against the use of the Alcântara base, but they did not accept technology transfer because they did not want Brazil to develop its own program. In addition to this, also prohibited the launch of US rockets or rockets with US components.
Given the inability to advance this cooperation, in 2015 the Brazilian and Ukrainian governments announce the end of the project. However, the Ukrainian government does not agree with the closure of ACS and promises to charge the Brazilian government a fine that could reach R$ 2 billion, even though the company never achieved its goal, which was to launch the rockets. The confusion surrounding this charge will still be long and full of diplomatic intricacies.
However, this whole issue goes beyond itself, this is not just a binational project not being carried out as it should. Any project of this type faces limitations as the US is responsible for much of the technology related to rockets.. Studies indicate that 80% of rockets and satellites produced in the world have North American technologies. The result is that the US can determine standards for commercialization and technology transfer.
Currently, the Brazilian government has been in dialogue with North American companies such as SpaceX and Boing. However, despite the potential gain of 1,5 billion dollars per year with the use of the Alcântara base, These negotiations may not come to fruition if a technological safeguard agreement with the US is not approved. The problem is that there is no prediction of when this will happen., since a new agreement will have to be created by both countries and then approved in the Congresses of both (just to give you an idea, a proposal like this was 2000 a 2016 in the Brazilian Congress and was not approved).
Given the complexity of the issue, the need to build international agreements and limitations of what can be done, It is imperative that Brazil opens negotiations with as many countries as possible, expanding the possibilities of results. More than a source of financial resources, the Alcântara base could become the pivot of Brazilian technological development in the aerospace area.