2003 Alcântara VLS accident
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On August 22, 2003, a massive explosion destroyed a Brazilian Space Agency VLS-1 (VLS-1 V03) rocket as it stood on its launch pad at the Alcântara Launching Center in the state of Maranhão in northern Brazil. Twenty-one people, standing on the launch pad, died when one of the rocket's four first stage motors ignited accidentally. The explosion caused a fire in the nearby jungle brush, and produced a large cloud of smoke that was visible for large distances. This was the third major attempt by Brazil to launch a rocket of the country's own design.
The explosion leveled the rocket's launch pad, reducing a 10-story high structure to a pile of twisted metal. Dozens of kilometers away, residents of the city of São Luís were able to hear the blast. The rocket had been scheduled to launch in just a few days' time and had two satellites onboard when the explosion occurred.
After the explosion, the Brazilian Space Agency was criticized for using solid-fuel rockets, which are easier to build and ignite than liquid-fuel rockets, but also dangerous because they lack throttle controls and emergency shut-offs. The incident has caused a significant delay to the Brazilian space program because of government inquiries as well as the fact that many scientists and engineers who worked on the program died when the rocket exploded.
The VLS-1 V04 was scheduled for launch in 2006, but the need for two separate stage testing postponed it, probably to 2009. By then, the VLS-2, now renamed Alfa (with a liquid-fuel third stage), may be ready.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- FSP: New tests postpone VLS-1 V04 launch (in Portuguese)
- BBC: A scaled down VSV-30 launch successfully
- BBC: Fatal blast hits Brazil space hopes
- BBC: Brazil vows to pursue space plan
- SpaceDaily article on explosion
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