Brazil’s Rockets

The following are the most recent technical specifications of Brazil’s rockets.

Sonda II

The Sonda II is a small single stage sounding rocket used to launch payloads under 70 kg to altitudes of 50 to 100 km. This rocket is under production and used to test thermal coatings, solid propellant grain configurations and onboard instrumentation.

Technical specifications:

Length: 4.534 m
Diameter: .3 m
Structural weight: 95 kg
Propellant weight: 237 kg
Burning time: 18 secs.
Thrust: 32 kN
Status: Operational

Sonda III

The Sonda III is a two-stage sounding rocket used to launch payloads from 50 to 150 kg to altitudes of 200 to 650 kms. The Sonda III features an instrumentation system for payload guidance, the separation of stages, and the ability to destroy the vehicle in the event of malfunction, and other instrumentation improvements.

Technical specifications:

Length (m)
1st stage: 3.793
2nd stage: 3.192
Vehicle: 6.985

Diameter (m)
1st stage: .557
2nd stage: .3
Vehicle: —

Structural weight (kg)
1st stage: 348
2nd stage: 95
Vehicle: 443

Propellant weight (kg)
1st stage: 864
2nd stage: 237
Vehicle: 1.101

Burning time (s)
1st stage:29
2nd stage: 22
Vehicle: —

Thrust (kN)
1st stage: 95
2nd stage: 32
Vehicle: —

Status: Operational

Sonda IV

The Sonda IV is a two-stage solid propellant rocket featuring technology used as a basis for Brazil’s satellite launcher vehicle, the VLS (Veiculo Lancador de Satelites). The Sonda IV can launch payloads from 300 to 500 kg to altitudes of 700 to 1000 kms.

Technical specifications:

Length (m)
1st stage: 5.348
2nd stage: 3.837
Vehicle: 9.185

Diameter (m)
1st stage: 1.007
2nd stage: .557
Vehicle: —

Structural weight (kg)
1st stage: 1.308
2nd stage: 348
Vehicle: 1.656

Propellant weight (kg)
1st stage: 4.271
2nd stage: 864
Vehicle: 5.135

Burning time (s)
1st stage: 43
2nd stage: 21
Vehicle: —

Thrust (kN)
1st stage: 234
2nd stage: 95
Vehicle: —

Range as a missile: 1,000 – 1,800 km
Payload: 500 kg
Status: Operational

VLS (Veiculo Lancador de Satelites)

The VLS is a four-stage launch vehicle comprised of a core rocket and four strap-on motors. The first, or booster stage, has four S-43 solid fuel motors strapped to the center second stage core motor. The strap-on motors and two of the three core stages of the VLS are derived from the first stage of the Sonda-IV. Rocket attitude control is achieved by movable nozzles in the first, second and third stages, with a spin stabilized fourth stage. The vehicle contains telemetry, tracking and rocket destruction systems. The guidance and control module contains an inertial platform, onboard computer, embedded software and input control devices to maneuver the vehicle.

Technical specifications:

Range as a missile (km): 3,600
Number of stages: 4
Stage diameters (m): 1
Total length (m): 19.8
Total weight (t): 50
Propellant weight (t): 41
Payload: 200 kg
Eq. circular orbit (km): 750
Status: Failed first launch, November 1997; second scheduled for late 1998.