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VLS-1 V01#Flight profile

{{Infobox rocket launch

| name = VLS-1 V01

| image = VLS-1_V01_launch.jpeg

| upright =

| alt =

| caption = VLS-1 V01 launch

| rocket = VLS-1

| launch = 2 November 1997, 12:25 a.m UTC

| window =

| operator = {{hlist|Ministry of Aeronautics|AEB|INPE}}

| pad = Alcântara Launch Center VLS-Pad

| payload = {{flagicon|Brazil}} SCD-2A

| outcome = Destroyed

| apogee = {{convert|3230|m|ft}}

| duration = 65 seconds

| serial =

| boosters =

| first =

| second =

| third =

| fourth =

| adaptor =

| bottom_image =

| bottom_image_upright =

| bottom_image_alt =

| bottom_image_caption =

| succession =

| previous =

| next = VLS-1 V02

}}

VLS-1 V01 was the first launch of the VLS-1 rocket that took place on November 2, 1997, from the Alcântara Launch Center with the goal of putting the SCD-2A satellite into orbit. The launch was unsuccessful, with the rocket being remotely destroyed due to deviation from its trajectory.

Background and goals

The VLS-1 rocket was originally proposed in 1979{{Sfn|Berquó|Coelho|Martinolli|Corrêa|2004|p=7}} as part of the {{ill|Brazilian Complete Space Mission|pt|Missão Espacial Completa Brasileira}}.{{sfn|Tribuna da Imprensa, 6 de novembro de|1997|p=4}} It was originally planned to launch in 1989.{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 21-22 de dezembro de|1997|p=21}} However, it was later delayed to 1990,{{sfn|Manchete, 8 de dezembro de|1984|p=119}} then 1994,{{sfn|Diário do Pará, 27 de maio de|1990|p=5}} 1995,{{sfn|O Fluminense, 16 de junho de|1993|p=7}} finally becoming ready in 1997 within "Operation Brazil". The mission had the objective of placing in orbit the SCD-2A satellite developed by INPE, and to test the vehicle in flight.{{Sfn|Berquó|Coelho|Martinolli|Corrêa|2004|p=11}}{{efn|Much of the delay is due to the technological embargo Brazil suffered from the G-7. This only ended in 1995 when the country signed the treaty on non-proliferation of high destruction missiles (MITCR).{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 21-22 de dezembro de|1997|p=21}} Another reason was the lack of financial resources for the project.{{sfn|Folha de S. Paulo, 11 de novembro de|1999}}}} The first prototype of the VLS was 80% Brazilian technology.{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 21-22 de dezembro de|1997|p=21}}

The satellite was planned to be placed into a circular orbit with an altitude of 750 kilometers,{{sfn|Pioneiro, 30-31 de agosto de|1997|p=19}} and on February 20, the payload fairing separation test had already been successfully carried out.{{sfn|Folha de S. Paulo, 21 de fevereiro de|1997}} On July 1, 1997, the equipment was sent to the Alcântara base{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 2 de julho de|1997|p=10}} and both the rocket and the satellite were ready by August 1997.{{sfn|Manchete, 16 de agosto de|1997|p=49}} For a launch cost of R$7.215 million in 1997 (US$12.41 million in 2024), it would be cheaper than the U.S. rocket Pegasus which cost R$16.65 million (US$28.64 million in 2024) per launch.{{sfn|Jornal do Brasil, 3 de novembro de|1997|p=4}}

The {{ill|Ministry of Aeronautics (Brazil)|pt|Ministério da Aeronáutica|lt=Ministry of Aeronautics}} barred the Press and civil authorities from attending the launch, claiming "security issues and lack of infrastructure" for receiving the press and guests at the base.{{sfn|A Tribuna, 22 de outubro de|1997|p=4}}{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 22 de outubro de|1997|p=12|loc=Um super esquema de segurança}} As a result, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso had his visit to the base moved forward to October 21.{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 22 de outubro de|1997|p=12}} Initially the launch was to take place in early September; however, delays at the center and the fact that the rocket was struck by lightning postponed the preparations. AEB sought to work with Embratel and Telebrás to broadcast the launch nationwide.{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 17 de outubro de|1997|p=10}}

The launch was supposed to take place on October 26, 1997, but was delayed in the early hours of the same day due to a malfunction in the Doppler radar, made by Thomson-CSF, which would track the launch and identify the satellite's orbit.{{sfn|Jornal do Brasil, 3 de novembro de|1997|p=4}}{{sfn|A Tribuna, 27 de outubro de|1997|p=10}} If the next attempt did not occur by the end of the planned window (November 10), the rocket would have to be put into a horizontal position due to the instability of its fuel.{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 2-3 de novembro de|1997|p=14}}

Launch

On November 2, during the countdown, the timer had to be paused for about 15 minutes due to a plane crossing the restricted airspace.{{sfn|Folha de São Paulo, 3 de novembro de|1997}}{{sfn|Jornal do Brasil, 3 de novembro de|1997|p=4}}

At 12:25 a.m. (UTC) the rocket was launched{{efn|"Jornal do Brasil" said that the rocket would be ignited by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso from the Planalto Palace through a satellite transmission system.{{sfn|Jornal do Brasil, 22 de outubro de|1997|p=6}}}} with a mass of 50 tons at the time of launch. Within about a minute the technicians noticed a problem with strap-on booster D, which caused the rocket to climb at an incline. Although the vehicle corrected the inclination, about seven tons of dead weight unbalanced the ascent, which led, 65 seconds after launch, to the remote destruction of a satellite worth $5 million and a $6.5 million rocket.{{sfn|Folha de São Paulo, 3 de novembro de|1997}}{{sfn|Jornal do Brasil, 3 de novembro de|1997|p=4}}{{sfn|Palmerio|2017|p=136}} It was later revealed that of the four boosters, one was not engaged, causing it to go off course.{{sfn|O Pioneiro, 6 de novembro de|1997|p=14}} The rocket was destroyed at a height of {{convert|3230|m|ft}}, and its debris fell into the interdicted sea area about {{convert|2|km|mi}} from the launch pad.{{sfn|Jornal do Brasil, 3 de novembro de|1997|p=4}} At the time of the destruction, the rocket was going 700 km/h.{{sfn|Palmerio|2017|p=138}}{{efn|The accident sequence is technically described in {{harvnb|Palmerio|2017|pp=136-139}}}}

A 15-minute pause was taken in the picture chain operated by Radiobrás and broadcast to auditoriums with guests in Brasília, São Luís and São José dos Campos. On the return of the broadcast, Colonel Thiago da Silva announced the failure.{{sfn|Folha de São Paulo, 3 de novembro de|1997}}{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 17 de outubro de|1997|p=10}}

Aftermath

Luiz Gylvan Meira Filho, the then-president of the Brazilian Space Agency, noted that the fact that the rocket sought to correct its trajectory was an engineering success.{{sfn|Folha de São Paulo, 3 de novembro de|1997}} The investigation pointed to a malfunctioning "mechanical safety device", that hindered the transmission of the pyrotechnic order, as responsible for the accident.{{Sfn|Berquó|Coelho|Martinolli|Corrêa|2004|p=12}}{{sfn|Palmerio|2017|p=137}} Fabio Wagner Costa, from the University Center of Brasília, reports that the test was considered positive because it allowed "the validation of important components, including the control system".{{sfn|Costa|2004|p=11}}

A professor at the Aeronautics Institute of Technology, speaking anonymously to the media, said that the accident could have been avoided if the entire boosters assembly had been tested in an integrated manner, but the CTA tests only addressed each strap-on booster separately. The "integrated test", with all four boosters, only occurred with the launch, contrary to what the ITA had advised.{{sfn|O Pioneiro, 6 de novembro de|1997|p=14}} The military was warned about the risk of an accident months before the launch.{{sfn|Jornal do Commercio, 10 de novembro de|1997|p=22}} Not all the tests were performed on the safety mechanism responsible for the accident due to the pressure to get the launch done on time.{{sfn|Palmerio|2017|p=137}}

The next launch occurred in 1999, ending with the remote destruction of the vehicle and the SACI-2 satellite about three minutes after liftoff.{{sfn|Folha de Londrina, 12 de dezembro de|1999}}

Flight profile

class="wikitable collapsible"

|+Mission timeline{{sfn|Bôas, IAE|pp=18-22}}

!Time

!Event

!Result

00:00

|Liftoff

|{{partial success|Booster D does not engage, which affects the orientation of the VLS.}}

00:55

|2nd stage ignition

|{{n/a}}

00:65

| colspan="2" style="background: #ffbbbb;|{{center|Remote destruction of the rocket}}

01:09

|3rd stage ignition

|{{n/a}}

02:11

|Payload fairing separation

|{{n/a}}

03:00

|3rd stage shutdown

|{{n/a}}

03:08

|3rd stage separation

|{{n/a}}

~07:00

|4rd stage ignition

|{{n/a}}

09:00

|Satellite orbit injection

|{{n/a}}

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

{{Refbegin|20em}}

(Chronological order)

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  • {{Cite book|url=http://www.aereo.jor.br/downloads/VLS-1_V03_Relatorio_Final.pdf|title=Relatório da Investigação do Acidente ocorrido com o VLS-1 VO3, em 22 de agosto de 2003, em Alcântara, Maranhão|place=São José dos Campos|date=February 2004|last=Berquó|first=Jolan Eduardo|last2=Coelho|first2=Elizabeth Cabral|last3=Martinolli|first3=João Bosco|last4=Corrêa|first4=Cleber Souza|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108044303/http://www.aereo.jor.br/downloads/VLS-1_V03_Relatorio_Final.pdf|archive-date=2013-11-08|url-status=live|page=118}}
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  • {{cite thesis |url=https://educacaoespacial.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/ijespacial_06_veiculo_lancador_de_satelites.pdf |title=O Veículo Lançador de Satélites - VLS-1 |place=IAE |last=Bôas |first=Danton José Fortes Villas |page=24|ref={{harvid|Bôas, IAE}}|language=pt}}
  • {{Cite book|url=https://site-sindct.storage.googleapis.com/uploads/2022/06/13092930/TECNOLOGIA_DE_FOGUETES.pdf|title=Introdução à Tecnologia de Foguetes|first=Ariovaldo Feliz|last=Palmerio|edition=2|year=2017|place=São José dos Campos|publisher=SindCT|page=304|isbn=978-85-62042-05-8|language=pt}}

{{refend}}

{{Brazil space program}}

{{Orbital launches in 1997}}

Category:Test spaceflights

Category:Satellite launch failures

Category:20th-century rocket launches

Category:Spacecraft launched in 1997

Category:1997 in Brazil