Brazils First Astronaut Returns to Earth |
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Written by spacetravel.org
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Monday, 10 April 2006 20:07 |
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Marcos Pontes, Brazils first astronaut, returned to Earth on Sunday 9 April after an 11-day trip to the International Space Station (ISS).
Pontes, a 43-year-old air officer, conducted eight scientific experiments during his stay at the ISS. However, some scientists have criticised his flight, saying that it had little scientific value, and that the estimated $10.5 million Brazil paid Russia for Pontes's flight would have been better spent on research back on Earth or on reconstructing the space base which was destroyed by an explosion on a launch pad in 2003. The Brazilian Space Agency believes the flight will raise the profile of space research and help it increase its budget.
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