Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                                 
March 23, 1994
(Phone:  202/358-1639)

RELEASE:  94-51
 
NASA AND BRAZIL SIGN SOUNDING ROCKET CAMPAIGN AGREEMENT

   NASA and the Commission for Space Activities of the Federative 
Republic of Brazil (COBAE) have signed a memorandum of 
understanding to conduct a sounding rocket campaign in Brazil from 
July through October 1994.  The agreement was signed by Daniel S. 
Goldin, NASA Administrator, and by Admiral Arnaldo Leite Pereira, 
President of COBAE.

   The sounding rocket campaign will investigate the 
electrodynamics and irregularities in the ionosphere and 
mesosphere along the Earth's magnetic equator and will study their 
relationship with the neutral atmosphere and winds.  The sounding 
rocket experiments primarily will measure electric fields, 
currents, densities, neutral winds and ionospheric instabilities.

   The campaign involves the launch of 33 NASA rockets.  Over 50 
U.S. and Brazilian scientists will participate, supported by teams 
of approximately 300 engineers, technicians and support staff.

   The launches will take place at the new Brazilian Launch Range, 
known as the Centro de Lancamentos de Alcantara (CLA) in the 
northeastern state of Maranhao.  This launch range is within 1 
degree of the Earth's magnetic equator.  COBAE will provide launch 
support services to NASA.

   The sounding rocket experiments require simultaneous 
measurements taken by ground-based scientific instruments, 
including backscatter radars, magnetometers and ionosondes.

   NASA plans to fly a Brazilian science experiment as part of one 
of the payloads.  The Brazilian scientific participation is 
coordinated by the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais 
(INPE).  Both sides will share the data from the rocket-borne and 
ground-based instruments. 

   The project has been named the Guara Campaign after a beautiful 
species of bird native to the equatorial region of Brazil.
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