VLS-1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 VLS rocket on the launch pad |
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| Fact sheet | ||
|---|---|---|
| Function | Orbital launch vehicle | |
| Manufacturer | IAE | |
| Country of origin | Brazil | |
| Size | ||
| Height | 19.5m (63.9 ft) | |
| Diameter | 1.01m (3.31ft) | |
| Mass | 50,700kg (111,700lb) | |
| Stages | 3 | |
| Capacity | ||
| Payload to LEO | 380kg (830kg) | |
| Launch History | ||
| Status | Active | |
| Launch Sites | Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara | |
| Total launches | 2 | |
| Failures | 2 | |
| Maiden flight | 2 November 1997 | |
| Boosters (Stage 0) - S-43 | ||
| No boosters | 4 | |
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 303kN (68,117lbf ) | |
| Specific Impulse | 225 sec | |
| Burn time | 59 seconds | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
| First Stage - S-43TM | ||
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 320.6kN (72,074lbf) | |
| Specific Impulse | 277 sec | |
| Burn time | 58 seconds | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
| Second Stage - S-40TM | ||
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 208.39kN (46,848lbf) | |
| Specific Impulse | 275 sec | |
| Burn time | 56 seconds | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
| Third Stage - S-44 | ||
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 33.240kN (7,473lbf) | |
| Specific Impulse | 282 sec | |
| Burn time | 68 seconds | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
The VLS-1, today, is the main project of satellite launchers at the Brazilian Space Agency (http://www.aeb.gov.br). It is a project aimed to take into orbit general purpose satellites. Brazil is trying to leverage the use of the Alcântara Launch Base (http://www.cla.aer.mil.br/) due its privilleged location, close to the Equator line.
To the present date, there were built three prototypes and two launches were made, departing from the Alcântara Launch Base. During the V01 and V02 prototype launches, respectively, technical problems nullified the mission objectives, but allowed the testing of several vehicle components.
The V03 prototype, which launch should have been in 2003, resulted in a disaster in August 22th of that year, before the lauch trial. See the Brazilian rocket explosion article for details about this disaster.
Features: Total length: 19 meters Stage diameter: 1 meters Number of stages: 4 Total mass: 50,000 kg Useful payload mass: 300 kg Apogee: 1,000 kmeters
The VLS-1 project is being concurrently developed with the VLS-2 project. The VLS-2 project aims the deployment of medium size satellites.
Although Brazil has not yet been sucessfull yet on the launch of orbital sattelites, it has accomplished success on the launch of probing sattelites, which are being developed and launched since the sixties, carrying several experiments and with the maximum apogee of 1,000 kmeters. The models are: Sonda I, Sonda II, Sonda III, Sonda IV, VS-30, VS-40 and VSB-30.
