Yahoo Finance by Michael Sheetz 2/23/2018
A group of five U.S. private rocket companies met with Brazilian officials in December.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Vector are interested in launching from the equatorial Alcantara launch complex.
The coastal launch site would offer cost savings by its ability to reach orbits often preferred for satellites.
A group representing five U.S. private rocket companies visited Brazil in December to meet with the nation's space agency and analyze the possibility of launching from the equatorial Alcantara launch complex.
The U.S. Department of Commerce was informed about the trip, which was organized by members of the private space industry. The group met with multiple Brazil government and military officials and looked at facilities that may be suitable for manufacturing, assembling and launching satellites.
The launch complex on Brazil's northern coast offers an opportunity to launch near the equator, much like the Guiana Space Centre, which is north of the equator in French Guiana.
An equatorial launch complex offers the opportunity to decrease the amount of fuel the rockets need to reach geosynchronous orbits — often the preferred location for satellites — by as much as 20 percent or more, lowering the cost of each launch.
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