The VS-30 is a Brazilian sounding rocket, developed by the Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço and derived from the Sonda 3 sounding rocket first stage. It consists of a single, solid-fuelled S-30 stage, and has been launched from Alcântara, Maranhão and Barreira do Inferno, Rio Grande do Norte, in Brazil, and Andøya and Svalbard Rocket Range in Norway.It has been launched both on its own, or in the VS-30 Orion configuration, with an American Improved Orion second stage. On its own, it can reach an apogee of 140 kilometres, and with an Orion upper stage, it can reach an apogee of 434 kilometres.
The VS-30 is also used as the upper stage of the VSB-30 rocket.
Flights List of VS-30 and VS-30 Orion flights: DateFlightLocationMissionApogee28.04.1997VS-30 XV-01AlcântaraDLR AL-VS30-223 (test)128 km12.10.1997 VS-30 XV-02AndøyaDLR AL-VS30-226 (aeronomy)120 km31.01.1998 VS-30 XV-03AndøyaDLR AL-VS30-229 (aeronomy)120 km15.03.1999 VS-30 XV-04Alcântara"São Marcos" (microgravity)128 km06.02.2000 VS-30 XV-05Alcântara"Lençois Maranhenses" (microgravity)148 km01.12.2002 VS-30 XV-06Alcântara"Cuma" (microgravity)145 km16.12.2007 VS-30 V07CLBI"Angicos" (GPS technology)120 km02.12.2011VS-30 V08CLBI"Brasil-Alemanha"28.06.2013VS-30 V09AndøyaWADIS 105.07.2013VS-30 V10EsrangeMAPHEUS 401.09.2014 VS-30 V13AlcântaraEPL-MEL5 "Raposa" (L5 liquid rocket engine test for 90s, total flight time 3m34s) 05.03.2015 VS-30 V11AndøyaWADIS 202.02.2016 VS-30 V12EsrangeSPIDER / LEEWAVES12.09.2018VS-30 V124Alcântara"MUTITI"120 km21.08.2000VS-30 Orion XV-01Alcântara"Baronesa"23.11.2002VS-30 Orion XV-02Alcântara"Piraperna"27.10.2005VS-30 Orion V03AndøyaSHEFEX 1 (DLR)31.01.2008VS-30 Orion V04AndøyaARR HotPay-205.12.2008VS-30 Orion V05SvalbardICI 203.12.2011VS-30 Orion V08Svalbard ICI 323.04.2012VS-30 Orion V06AndøyaHIFiRE 513.09.2012VS-30 Orion V07AndøyaHIFiRE 308.12.2012VS-30 Orion V10Alcântara"Iguaiba"18.09.2013VS-30 Orion V09AndøyaScramSpace 1 (launch failure)01.09.2014VS-30 V13AlcântaraEPL-ME (liquid rocket engine test)19.02.2015VS-30 Orion V11AndøyaICI 418.05.2016VS-30 OrionWoomeraHIFiRE 5b09.12.2018VS-30 V14AlcântaraPSR 0129.11.2024 VS-30 V15CLBI"Potiguar" VS-30 was used to test the EPL-ME (Estágio Propulsivo a Propelente Líquido) liquid propulsion upper stage in 2014.
On December 2, 2023, AEB's president announced that a VS-30 flight from Barreira do Inferno Launch Center is planned for 2024.
Characteristics
Length (mm) 7428 Payload Mass (kg) 260 Diameter (mm) 557 Total takeoff mass (kg) 1460 Apogee (km) 160
S-30 rocket engine The VS-30 sounding rocket uses the S-30 motor as a single-stage rocket for suborbital flights. It is also used in multiple stage configurations, such as the VLS (fourth stage), VS-30 Orion (mentioned above) and VSB-30 (where the S-30 is used as a booster stage).
The S-30 rocket engine is a solid-fuel rocket motor developed by the Brazilian Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA), primarily for sounding rockets (suborbital research rockets). It is part of the Sonda series, developed by the Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço (IAE) under the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB).
S-30 specifications
Type: Solid-fuel rocket motor Fuel: HTPB-based composite propellant Thrust: 103 kN Burn time: 21 seconds SI: 275 s Diameter: 66 cm Length: 4.3 meters Fuel Mass: 880 kg Total Mass: 1250 kg
See also VSB-30 VS-40
References