OREANDA-NEWS. April 12, 2011. During a television project "Conversation with the Country" by the President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych was raised several issues, including the development of astronautics.

Appropriate steps to address them have been taken by the Government.
 
The priority development of space activities of Ukraine is the International project of development of a space rocket complex "Cyclone-4 at the Alcantara Launch Center (Brazil). The project is under the personal supervision of President of Ukraine V. Yanukovych and the Government. The project aims to provide services of launching space vehicles in the interests of national space programs of Ukraine and Brazil and third countries on a commercial basis.

The project under the "Treaty between Ukraine and the Federative Republic of Brazil on long-term cooperation in the use of rocket-Cyclone-4 at the Alcantara Launch Center" dated October 21, 2003. The contract ratified by the Law of Ukraine dated 4 February 2004 № 1429-IV and the Legislative Decree of the National Congress of Brazil dated 17 September 2004 № 776.

According to the Treaty Ukraine ensures the development of launch vehicle and prepares manufacturing base for its production. Brazil provides a common infrastructure of the Alcantara Launch Center (seaport, airport, command posts, roads, system software, etc.). Ukraine and Brazil on a parity basis create ground base for rocket launches of the Cyclone-4 ". For this purpose in August 2007 was formed the Ukrainian-Brazilian company "Alcantara Cyclone Space".

At present Ukraine has developed design documentation for launch vehicles, the manufacture of the material and its testing ground is holding. Start of production of the first flight model rocket for flight testing.

At the location of ground facility in Brazil has conducted topographic and mapping, carried out geological exploration. September 6, 2010 Brazilian environmental institute IBAMA issued a construction license, which allowed beginning work on the construction of ground-based and building the necessary infrastructure for the project. September 9, 2010 held a ceremony of laying "the first stone". Currently development and manufacturing of process equipment ground-based is holding, the project design for construction has been developed, it has received an environmental license and the license for construction work, dredging the area under construction is completed.

The project "Cyclone-4 was assigned to projects that have strategic importance for economic development according to Government (Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 12.23.2009, № 1429).
 
2. The program "Dnipro ".
Joint Statement of Presidents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine (from 31 May 1997 and February 12, 2001) the priority in the research of outer space for peaceful purposes was defined the promotion in the world market of space services jointly developed technologies and expansion of commercial use of launch vehicle “Dnipro” and “Zenit”.

On the sixth and seventh meetings of the Committee on Economic Cooperation of the Ukrainian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission was decided continue the program "Dnipro" taking into account the interests of both countries.

The program "Dnipro" provides the Russian-Ukrainian joint Company - International Space Company “Kosmotras”. At that time, made 16 launches of carrier rockets and turned into space 55 space vehicles of different countries (USA, England, FRH, France, Japan).

To provide in the near future launch of Ukrainian spacecraft of remote sensing satellite "Sich-2 with the Government of Russian Federation is the issue of granting permission to launch a rocket "Dnipro".

In cluster launch of rocket "Dnipro" except Ukrainian Sich-2 "participate spacecraft “NiheriyaSat-2”, “NiheriyaSat-X” (Nigeria),"RASAT” (Turkey), "EDUSAT" (Italy) , "AprayzSat-5", "AprayzSat-6” (USA).