VLS-1 V03 was a Brazilian Space Agency VLS-1 rocket, which was intended to have launched two satellites into orbit. On August 22, 2003, at 13:30 (local time) an explosion destroyed the 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.
An investigation by the Brazilian Government after the explosion found "dangerous buildups of volatile gases, deterioration of sensors and electromagnetic interference" at the launch site.[1] The VLS was Brazil's first effort to build a rocket capable of reaching orbit with a commercial payload. The two previous VLS launch efforts had malfunctioned because of engine problems. The explosion was the third consecutive failure for the system. A new version of the launcher is being built with Russian assistance.[2]
The VLS-1 V04 was scheduled for launch in 2006, but the need for separate stage two testing postponed it.
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