In May, the BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa launched a space cooperation committee, opening a new chapter in remote sensing satellite observation and data-sharing. The committee comprises the space agencies of member nations – the Brazilian Space Agency, Russia's Roscosmos, the Indian Space Research Organization, the China National Space Administration, and the South African National Space Agency.
The five space agencies signed an agreement on Cooperation on BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation in August 2021. The agreement enables BRICS space agencies to jointly build a virtual constellation of remote sensing satellites as a data-sharing mechanism. The mechanism can help the agencies meet everyday challenges such as climate change, disasters, and environmental protection.