The explosion ended the third attempt in five years for Brazil to become a spacefaring nation. Previous Brazilian attempts to reach orbit launched in 1997 and 1999 were destroyed shortly after take-off because of technical problems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to the Brazilian people. He noted his nation of Russia had experienced the loss of many personnel in launch pad explosions – 90 in a blast in 1960 and 50 in an explosion in 1980. “Our country, which has learned from experience what a high price has at times had to be paid for mankind’s technological progress, including in space exploration, especially understands the anguish of such losses,” Putin said.

In contrast, after three days there were no official acknowledgement of the accident from the White House by American President Bush. However, he did issue a statement and call the Brazilian president only days earlier offering condolences on the death of Brazilian U.N diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello in an Iraqi terrorist attack and met with the Brazilian President at the White House for the third time only several months ago.

Russia and the United States appear to be taking different approaches to support Brazil’s embryonic space program. Russia and Brazil have signed up for cooperative ventures which are apparently supporting ongoing progress in space efforts between the two countries. In contrast, U.S. cooperation between the U.S. and Brazil appears limited to NASA’s charging the Brazilians $200 million for 0.45 percent time on the International Space Station.