FROM AIR FORCE TO HYPERSONIC FUTURE: ÉLCIO GERÔNIMO DE OLIVEIRA'S JOURNEY IN BRAZILIAN AEROSPACE DEVELOPMENT

Introduction: The interview with Élcio Gerônimo de Oliveira, conducted by reporter Luis, presents the professional trajectory of a Brazilian researcher with experience in the Brazilian Air Force and academia, focusing on space systems and hypersonic vehicles. Objectives: To document Élcio's career and contributions to Brazilian aerospace development, highlighting his transition from military to academic career and his participation in strategic projects, especially the 14X project. Methods: The interview was structured in thematic blocks, addressing the military career, academic experience, and, in greater detail, involvement in the 14X hypersonic vehicle project. Open-ended questions were asked, allowing the interviewee to share his experience and technical knowledge. Results: Élcio described his progression in the Brazilian Air Force, from researcher to vice-head of the Space Directorate, highlighting the development of launch vehicles, inertial navigation systems, and the SARA project. He reported his transition to an academic career, including his experience as a professor at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. Élcio detailed his coordination in the 14X project, a hypersonic vehicle that reached Mach 7, with prospects of reaching Mach 10. Discussion: The interview reveals the importance of international cooperation and technology transfer, exemplified by the donation of Brazil's first hypersonic laboratory. It also highlights the technical challenges in building hypersonic vehicles and the potential of these technologies for military and civilian applications. Conclusion: Élcio Gerônimo de Oliveira's career exemplifies the Brazilian contribution to advanced aerospace research, demonstrating the national capacity to develop strategic technologies such as hypersonic vehicles, despite resource limitations, and pointing to future possibilities for transportation and space exploration.