Brazilian Air Force Command Activates COES (Space Activities Command)

On July 7, in Brasília, Federal District, the Brazilian Air Force Command (COMAER) activated the Space Activities Command (COES), a new command responsible for centralizing, integrating and coordinating defense-related space activities. The military ceremony was presided over by the Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant-Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, and brought together civilian and military authorities connected to National Defense and the Brazilian space sector. In his address, the Commander of the Air Force stated that the activation of COES represents a response to technological transformations and the current geopolitical landscape.

The Ceremony

During the ceremony, the Commander of COES, Lieutenant-Brigadier Sergio Barros de Oliveira, stated that the Air Force has both the vocation and the legal authority to operate in several areas of the space segment and remains determined to continue working in partnership with public and private institutions, as well as friendly nations, to overcome the challenges Brazil faces in its pursuit of autonomous access to space.

Saipher participated in the ceremony and was represented by its Director of Innovation and New Business, Brigadier José Vagner Vital, and its Strategic Consultant, Lieutenant-Brigadier Jeferson Domingues de Freitas. According to Brigadier Vital, it is necessary to avoid the fragmentation of efforts, reduce the vulnerability of Brazilian Space Systems and establish an operational focal point capable of paving the way for the creation and development of Space Control and Defense and Space Support missions. “This operational command unit will facilitate management during crises or battles involving the Space Domain, in an integrated manner with the other domains,” he said.

About COES

The Space Activities Command (COES) is a Major Command and Sectoral Direction Body (ODS) of the Brazilian Air Force Command, directly subordinate to the Commander of the Air Force. Its responsibilities include the planning, coordination, control, integration and employment of defense-related space capabilities. COES will also work on the implementation of Space Situational Awareness (SSA), exercise the responsibilities of the Defense Space Authority, coordinate the life cycle of space capabilities from conception to decommissioning, and develop and consolidate defense space doctrine.

The implementation of the new Command will take place in two phases: activation, which began on July 7, 2026; and consolidation, expected to be completed within 18 months. In due course, the structure will also bring together the Primary and Secondary Space Operations Centers (COPE-P and COPE-S), as well as the Alcântara Launch Center (CLA) and the Barreira do Inferno Launch Center (CLBI).