INPE - 2006

• Free CBERS images catalog becomes available for South America.
• Experiments and equipments, used by Marcos Pontes in the International Space Station (ISS), were qualified in accordance with required standards for manned flights.
• CBERS images becomes experimentally available to United States. It makes part of initiative in marketing the product to interested countries.
• Studies of three new missions using Multimission Platform as a service platform for payloads are initiated. Amazonia-1 satellite would be a remote sensing satellite that should complement CBERS-3 mission, in order to provide global imaging every 2 days. On the other hand Lattes-1 would be a scientific satellite that should gather in a single platform missions originally planned for EQUARS and Mirax satellites. Finally, GPM satellite would be a part of an international constellation in order to measure the global precipitation level.
• First automatic analysis system shutdowns of the grid due to lightning.
• First Brazilian Lightning Network (BrasilDat).
• INPE becomes a distribution center of data and images from GOES 10 - weather satellite - after orbital repositioning which had provided better and frequently coverage of Brazil and South America
• The network of Data Collection Platform (PCD) has approximately seven hundred platforms in the country and neighboring nations.
• INPE launches Space and Society Program and the basis for development of a new area in Earth System Science (CST).
• Obtaining engineering model of low-cost solar simulator developed in partnership with national company.

  Worldwide

• The solar system planets back to be 8, after the scientists no longer consider Pluto as a planet.

• NASA scientists found evidence of water on Mars.

• Marcos Pontes became the first Brazilian, first South American citizen and Lusophone to go into space aboard Soyuz TMA-8.