Considered sorely understaffed, underfinanced and unsafe by commission reports, the Brazilian Space Program was approved a new budget by Brazilian Federal Budget Officials, including President Lula, who stresses Brazil’s firm commitment to a space program. The Brazilian Space Agency has been stalled since August 2003, when a VLS-1 VO3 rocket exploded three days before it was scheduled to lauch, blamed as the result of a wiring malfunction, an accident that killed 21 engineers and technicians.