First Rocket produced 100% in Brazil is launched from Alcântara
The unprecedented feat is part of Operation Santa Branca and took place this Sunday (23/10), in Maranhão
Lieutenant Eniele Santos and Major Oliveira Lima
October, 23! Aviator’s Day and Brazilian Air Force (FAB) Day. This year, the date became even more significant! The Alcântara Launch Center (CLA) launched the VSB-30 suborbital vehicle, from the Suborbital Microgravity Platform (PSM), which was developed by the Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE). The project is part of Operation Santa Branca.
With Brazilian production and 100% national payload, the VSB-30 is a rocket from the probe family, which has solid propulsion stages, rotationally stabilized and with the capacity to transport payloads of up to 400 kg, at altitudes in the range of 270 km. In this launch, the rocket took on board the scientific experiment “Multiuser Oven”, developed by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
The event was attended by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Paulo Alvim, who was accompanied by his delegation made up of Directors, Secretaries and Heads of Cabinet of the ministry. Furthermore, the President of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), Colonel Engineer Carlos Augusto Teixeira de Moura, witnessed the launch.
“Firstly, we have to celebrate the success of Operation Santa Branca. It is a source of pride to see the competence of Brazilian professionals, who have not given up on their dream of launching launches here at CLA. The VSB-30 is a Brazilian rocket and this will be the beginning of a cycle of many achievements that will certainly come”, said Minister Paulo Alvim.
VSB-30 launch
The rocket was launched at 2:20 pm and reached its peak in 4 minutes and 1 second, already at an altitude of 227 km, totaling a flight of 7 minutes and 44 seconds. The payload fell 185 kilometers from the coast and military personnel specializing in this type of mission, aboard FAB helicopters, rescued the payload.
“Operation Santa Branca was completed successfully. There was a lot of preparation with the teams from the Institute of Aeronautics and Space and the ORBITAL Company, who carried out the PSM, an experiment that we are in the process of approving. There were months of preparation for this moment and, for us at CLA, it is a feeling of accomplishment. Now we have all the necessary data to present to the launch companies”, reported the Director of the CLA, Colonel Engineer Fernando Benitez Leal.
Operation Safety
In order to guarantee the complete success of Operation Santa Branca, several security measures were taken. For the population living in the CLA region, the FAB issued announcements alerting the entire population. In addition, fishermen and riverside residents were instructed on fishing in the area. The same care was taken regarding the airspace, which was blocked for flights in the region.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Engineer Rogério Moreira Cazo, safety is the fundamental item for the success of the operation. In terms of organic matters, the Security and Defense Group (GSD) provided full escort of the rocket until it reached the vehicle’s integration area. “We carried out all area surveillance, with access and image control. We did perimeter work with the placement of barriers that could guarantee the total safety of everyone”, explained the Officer.
Regarding launch safety, care was taken with great care, mainly due to the fact that approximately 95% of the load was made up of fuel. In this matter, Lieutenant-Colonel Moreira reported that the Brazilian Space Program rocket works with solid fuel, so, to avoid incidents, electrostatic discharge tests were carried out and the launch area was completely isolated. “We monitored all possible issues that could occur and eliminated them all. Furthermore, we ensured that any situation was resolved and remedied. With all these precautions, we achieved our objective and the mission was a success”, he concluded.
Operation Santa Branca
Operation Santa Branca consists of the launch of the VSB-30 rocket, which had a payload module with the Microgravity Suborbital Platform Qualification Model (MQ-PSM). With this qualification, the PSM will be used to carry out experiments in a microgravity environment.
Com o sucesso da Operação, o Brasil poderá explorar esse tipo de lançamento para os interessados na pesquisa científica e no desenvolvimento de tecnologias.
Source: Defesanet
