The death toll from the Brazilian space rocket disaster is at least 21. The vehicle exploded on its launch pad while undergoing final pre-launch tests. As many as 20 others were injured.
Defence minister Mr Jose Veigas Filho said the blast at the remote base in north-eastern Brazil killed mostly civilian technicians and destroyed two satellites.
Some of the bodies are burned beyond recognition.
Mr Veigas said: "The launching pad collapsed and the technicians were working there, so everything indicates they died. There is no hope that there were survivors."
Air Force spokesman, Lieutenant Ricardo Olanda, said: "We have recovered more bodies and now know of 21 dead. We don't expect the number of dead will increase further."
Globo television showed footage of a plume of smoke rising high into the sky over the seaside Alcantara Launch Centre, 1,457 miles north of Sao Paulo.
The explosion occurred after one of the four main motors of the rocket was ignited for reasons still unknown.
The VLS-3 rocket was scheduled to be launched next week with the two satellites.
The blast came as technicians were putting the finishing touches on a rocket that would make Brazil the first Latin American nation to put a satellite in space on its own.
Air Force Colonel, Romeo Brasileiro, said: "We had just done two days of tests and everything went well - 100 percent. Everybody is devastated."
A presidential spokesman said Brazil is committed to continuing its space programme.