Ricardo Magnus Osório Galvão (born 21 December 1947) is a prominent Brazilian physicist and engineer, formerly the Director-General of the National Institute for Space Research.

[8] In August 2019, he was removed from his position as Director-General of the National Institute for Space Research, after a public disagreement with President Jair Bolsonaro over scientific data that showed a significant increase in deforestation in the Amazon rainforest since the latter took office.

He obtained a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the State University of Campinas in 1972 and a PhD in Plasma Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976.

"[16][17][18] The Ministry of Science even built a group to survey Ricardo Galvão's life, in order to see any things he "did wrong," as a way to force him to resign, as well as having his phone tapped.

I will not answer him and he is the one who should call me personally and also should have the courage to tell me that face to face.On the same day, the board of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science defended Galvão in a manifesto that classified Bolsonaro's attacks as offensive, ideological and without foundation.

[24][25][26] On Sunday, the Brazilian Physics Society issued a note also supporting Galvão and deploring the attacks made by the president.

[37] Douglas Morton, director of the Biosphere Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Space Flight Center, said INPE's results were "unquestionable," explained that INPE had always worked in a technical and judicious manner and classified Galvão's dismissal as significantly alarming and reflected as "current government treats science.

[43][44] In 2022 Ricardo Galvão joined the REDE party[45] with the goal of running for a seat as a federal deputy for São Paulo in the 2022 elections,[46] and received support from former President Lula.

[49][50] On November 16, 2022 Ricardo Galvão was announced by Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin as a member of the transition team in the Environment portfolio of elected government in 2022.

The descriptors also suggest that "the orange colour of the moth's forewings are reminiscent of the devastating fires that had become more prevalent in the Amazon in 2019, compared to 2018, based on Dr Galvão and his team's scientific data that cost Dr Galvão his position of Director of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research in August 2019".