The delay underscores the fundamental challenge that has dogged this developing nation's space program for many years - lack of adequate funding.

A recent report by a Brazilian-government-appointed legislative commission cited lack of sufficient funding for the country's space program as the root cause of the tragic rocket explosion that killed 21 space officials last year.

With a sophisticated satellite design and manufacturing facility, an ideally situated launch center, and its own rocket development program, Brazil's is considered one of the world's most advanced and ambitious space programs.

But diminishing space budgets in recent years have impacted directly the nations' ability to fulfill its ambitions in space.

In 1997, during his visit to this South American country, President Bill Clinton signed an agreement that gave Brazil the right to send an astronaut aboard the space shuttle to the space station.

But problems began in 1999, when Brazil's economy experienced a crisis and the government was forced to enact widespread budget cuts.

The budget cuts, required by the International Monetary Fund as a condition for a multi-billion dollar rescue package, delayed work on an item known as the Express Pallet, an instrument package that was to have provided accommodation for experiments outside of the station itself.

The arguments within cash-strapped Brazil in favor of contributing $120 million worth of equipment at the time was such an investment would create jobs and advance the technology base of the country's emerging aerospace industry.

Later, when it was learned that most of the work was awarded to companies outside Brazil - such as Boeing - second thoughts arose.

As costs increased, and Brazil began falling in arrears on its payments to Boeing, the country began to reconsider the extent of its financial commitment to the station.

Boeing's 1999 decision to close its office in Brazil, when the country payments on a $10 million contract became eight months and $3 million dollars late, also did not help matters.

The Express Pallet originally was scheduled to be completed in 2001 - the same time Pontes was scheduled to fly.

After additional delays, Mucio Dias, president at the time of AEB, Brazil's space agency, decided the Express Pallet could not be provided on schedule, a move that required a renegotiating of Brazil's contribution to the station.

With a change of administrations and the entrance of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the country achieved a revised agreement to allow a more modest participation in the ISS project.

Sergio Gaudenzi, the current AEB President, admitted that his country's contributions have gone down considerably.

Originally, Brazil was to contribute six items to the ISS, valued at $120 million dollars, Gaudenzi told United Press International. Now, under the new agreement, we are providing one item, known as the FSS, or Flight Support Equipment, valued at $8 million to $10 million, over four years.

Nevertheless, Gaudenzi expressed hope that this reduction (in Brazil's contribution) does not place other astronauts in front of (Pontes) to fly, who are coming from countries that contribute more resources to the station.

Since 1998, when Pontes first visited NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Brazil has paid NASA about $2.5 million dollars for his training.

Pontes remains optimistic about his chances of flying eventually, aboard some spacecraft, to the orbiting space station.

Working with NASA's Office of External Relations, Pontes said he spends half of his time in Houston and the other half in Brazil. Now that he is finished with basic training, Pontes has moved on to advanced training in flying, robotics and extra-vehicular activities, or EVA - spacewalking.

In Brazil, he interacts with aerospace companies and research institutions participating in the station project, and helps to communicate the benefits of country's space program to the public.

Gaudenzi sees Pontes as a valuable tool for gaining public support for the Brazilian space program.

We plan to utilize his help in communicating the benefits of our space program to our people - to popularize our space program, he said.

Today, in Brazil, Pontes is treated as a celebrity. Even among the exclusive club of Brazilian Air Force fighter and test pilots - there were only 12 in his squadron - Pontes stood out, because was the only one with training in aeronautical engineering.

Before becoming an astronaut, he was a test pilot who flew a variety of fighter jets. He spent a stint in Russia, flying the MiG-29 Fulcrum, when Brazil was considering the purchase of that aircraft for its fighter squadrons.

With the new agreement between NASA and AEB in place, Pontes said the ball is now in the court of Brazil's Space Agency to take the next step. That next step is for AEB to issue requests for competitive bids from Brazilian industry to build the FSS components.

Unlike the previous agreement, Pontes said the new accord stipulates that most of the work will be done by Brazilian companies.

The parts that will be built within our budget will be manufactured by Brazilian industry and can also be utilized for other purposes, in other (space) vehicles, he said.

The primary reason for Brazil's participation in the space station now is to provide advantages and markets for our industry. I am emphasizing first the benefits this will provide to Brazilian companies. The flight should come as a consequence of that.

If all else fails, Pontes cited the example of his friend, the Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori, who attended the same 1998 NASA astronaut-training class.

While awaiting his ride on the shuttle, Vittori flew to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in April 2002 - the product of an agreement among Russia's Rosaviakosmos, the Italian Space Agency, and the European Space Agency.

After his flight, Vittori returned to Houston to get back in line for his trip aboard the shuttle. In the meantime, he is scheduled for another Soyuz flight to the space station in April 2005.

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