Function | Sounding rocket |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço |
Country of origin | Brazil |
Size | |
Height | 5 m (16.40 ft) |
Diameter | 0.56 m (1.83 ft) |
Mass | 1,400 kg (3,000 lb) |
Stages | 1 or 2 |
Launch history | |
Status | Active |
Launch sites | Alcântara Andøya Barreira do Inferno Svalbard Rocket Range |
Failure(s) | 1 |
First flight | April 28, 1997 |
Powered by | 1× S-30 solid rocket motor |
Maximum thrust | 102.00 kN (22,930 lbf) |
Burn time | 20 seconds |
Propellant | AP / HTPB |
Second stage (VS-30 Orion) – Orion | |
Height | 2.8 m |
Diameter | 0.35 m |
Powered by | 1 Aerojet dual-thrust solid rocket motor |
Maximum thrust | 7 kN (1,600 lbf) |
Burn time | 32 seconds |
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.[1] It consists of a single, solid-fuelled stage,[2] 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,[3] with an American Orion upper stage.[4][5] On its own, it can reach an apogee of 140 kilometres,[1][2] and with an Orion upper stage, it can reach an apogee of 434 kilometres.[4] The VS-30 is also used as the upper stage of the VSB-30 rocket.