Cradle of Splendor

In the near future, Brazil is on the verge of becoming a legitimate space power. But their first manned launch goes horribly wrong. The boosters sputter, and fail. The world holds its breath, expecting the rocket to plummet to Earth. But it doesn't. It shoots into orbit - with no boosters, seemingly no propulsion at all. Impossible...but the world saw it happen. Now the world wants to know how they did it. If it is a well-planned hoax, it must be exposed. If it is new antigravitational technology, it must be shared. But if it is something more than that, something sinister, or otherworldly...then it must be conquered.