Alberto Santos-Dumont

Alberto Santos-Dumont (Portuguese pronunciation: [awˈbɛʁtu ˈsɐ̃tuz duˈmõ]; 20 July 1873 – 23 July 1932) was a Brazilian aviation pioneer. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to aeronautical study and experimentation in Paris, France, where he spent most of his adult life.

Santos-Dumont designed, built, and flew hot air balloons and early dirigibles, his rising fame in this field culminating in his winning of the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on 19 October 1901 on a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower.

Following his pioneering work in airships, Santos-Dumont constructed a heavier-than-air aircraft, the 14-bis. On 23 October 1906 he flew this to make the first powered heavier-than-air flight to be certified by the Aéro Club de France and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).

In his homeland, Brazil, Santos-Dumont is a national hero, having his name written in Brazilian Hero Panthéon. He is credited in Brazil as the "father of flight". Santos-Dumont occupied the 38th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1931 until his death in 1932.

Santos-Dumont (crater)

Santos-Dumont is a small lunar impact crater that lies in the northern end of the Montes Apenninus range at the eastern edge of the Mare Imbrium. This feature was previously designated Hadley B prior to being given a name by the IAU. It is located about 30 kilometers to the northeast of Mons Hadley, a mountain massif.

This crater is a circular, bowl-shaped formation that is situated atop a ridge in the Montes Apenninus. It is otherwise an unremarkable formation with no unusual features and little appearance of wear.

To the northwest of Santos-Dumont is a 90-km-wide system of rilles designated the Rimae Fresnel, being named for the Promontorium Fresnel that lies to the north of the crater. This last formation forms the northern end of the Montes Apenninus, and lies astride the gap that joins the Mare Imbrium to the west with the Mare Serenitatis to the east. To the southeast, in the valley past Mons Hadley, is the landing site of the Apollo 15 mission.

This feature is named in honour of the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont.

Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais

Santos Dumont (formerly known as Palmira) is a municipality in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The population (2006) is estimated to be 49,137 and the total area of the municipality is 639.1 km² (246.8 sq mi). It lies at an elevation of 839 m (2,753 ft) just off the main interstate highway, BR040, between the urban centers of Barbacena (north) and Juiz de Fora (south). It is 240 km (150 mi) from the state capital, Belo Horizonte, and 220 km (140 mi) from Rio de Janeiro. It became a city in 1889.

Climate

The average annual temperature is approximately 20 °C (68 °F), with the average maximum of 21 °C (70 °F), and the average minimum of 19 °C (66 °F).

Economy

Agriculture

Livestock raising is the main economic activity with approximately 30,000 head of cattle and an annual production of milk of about 15,000,000 l (3,300,000 imp gal).

The region produces corn, strawberries, guava, nectaries, manioc, beans, oranges, coffee, peach and banana.

Industry

Santos Dumont has the Companhia Brasileira de Carbureto de Cálcio, (CBCC), which produces silicone iron and metallic silicone, exporting to several countries.