VLS-1 V02

VLS-1 V02
VLS-1 launch
Launch	11 December 1999, 18:40 p.m UTC
Operator	Ministry of Aeronautics; AEB; INPE;
Pad	Alcântara Launch Center VLS-Pad
Payload	SACI-2
Outcome	Destroyed
Launch duration	3m30s
	← VLS-1 V01 VLS-1 V03 →

VLS-1 V02 was the second flight of the VLS-1 rocket on December 11, 1999 from the Alcântara Launch Center, with the objective of placing the SACI-2 microsatellite in LEO. The rocket was remotely destroyed 3 minutes after launch.

Origins

The mission's goal was to place the SACI-2 satellite in into a circular orbit 750 km high. This followed after SACI-1, launched by China, was lost due to a transmitter failure. It was the second launch of the VLS-1 rocket, with the first being lost shortly after launch. The launch campaign was called "Operation Almenara"^[1]^[2]^[3]^[a], and occurred after the necessary modifications had been made.^[4]

The total cost of the operation was US$ 7.4 million,^[3] with the satellite being valued at R$2.04 million (U$ 1124628.18).^[5] The budget constraints prevented a test launch before the official launch.^[6] SACI-2's mission was to collect hydro-meteorological and environmental data as part of a study of space geophysics.^[7]

In March 1999 the preparations at the Alcântara Launch Center were underway.^[8] On June 18, 1999, Defense Minister Élcio Álvares observed the rocket's assembly and integration activities at the Aeronautics Institute of Technology.^[9] SACI-2 began to be assembled in July and arrived in Maranhão on November 28, 1999.^[10]^[11]^[12]

The launch was planned for November 20, 1999, but tests of SACI-2 in the thermo-vacuum chamber indicated a failure in one of the electronic components. The rocket was ready by the same month.^[3] The satellite problem was solved by replacing the memory in the internal computer.^[10] If the satellite had not been repaired before launch, they considered dismantling the VLS or launching it empty.^[13] The launch was later scheduled for December 7, but was postponed due to problems with the rocket.^[14] On the same day, December 7, the launch center teams wrapped up the simulated countdown.^[15]

Around 600 people were involved in the launch, and the airspace in the region was closed for approximately three hours.^[16]

Launch

VLS-1 V02 was launched on December 11, 1999, at 18:40 (UTC),^[17] after a ten minute delay. The four strap-on boosters worked correctly, however, it was remotely destroyed after 3 minutes and 30 seconds due to the second stage not being activated. The debris fell within the interdicted area.^[1]^[4]^[18]

The announcement of the failure only came one hour and 20 minutes after the accident. According to the official version, Brigadier Tiago Ribeiro, responsible for the announcement, would have been ill due to emotion after the accident.^[1]

Aftermath

The announcement came from the INPE directorate in São José dos Campos, about an hour before an official military announcement. The Brazilian Air Force relied on help from fishing communities to locate the wreckage.^[1] Its four boosters fell 60 kilometers off the coast of the Parnaíba region; the second stage and the rest of the rocket fell off the coast of Fortaleza.^[19] Among military circles there were rumors that the VLS had been the victim of sabotage.^[20]

The Brazilian and international media had difficulty communicating with their newspapers due to overloaded Internet. The failure led INPE to cancel the microsatellite program.^[1]^[21] On December 13, 1999, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso announced that the project would be reviewed by the MCT, the Aeronautics and INPE.^[22]

The investigation revealed that the accident was due to a flame penetration of the second stage block and the front flexible heat shield flap.^[23] The next launch, VLS-1 V03, after plans to launch it in 2001,^[24] was finally scheduled for 2003.^[4]^[17] However, on August 22, 2003, three days before the launch, the rocket was destroyed at its base due to an accidental ignition, leading to 21 deaths.^[25]^[26] VLS-1 V04 had 70% of its structure built, but the program was terminated in 2016.^[27]^[28]

Flight profile

Mission timeline^[29]
Time	Event	Result
00:00	Liftoff	Success
00:55	2nd stage ignition	Failure
01:09	3rd stage ignition	—
02:11	Payload fairing separation	—
03:00	3rd stage shutdown	—
03:30	Destruction due to non-ignition of 2nd stage
03:08	3rd stage separation	—
~07:00	4rd stage ignition	—
09:00	Satellite orbit injection	—

References

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Folha de Londrina, 12 de dezembro de 1999.
^ Pioneiro, 11-12 de dezembro de 1999, p. 37.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Jornal do Brasil, 11 de novembro de 1999, p. 14.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Berquó et al. 2004, p. 12.
^ Folha de S. Paulo, 12 de dezembro de 1999.
^ Tribuna da Imprensa, 27 de dezembro de 1999, p. 4.
^ Diário do Grande ABC, 10 de dezembro de 1999.
^ Jornal do Commercio, 10 de março de 1999, p. 4.
^ Jornal do Brasil, 19 de junho de 1999, p. 4.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Diário do Grande ABC, 28 de novembro de 1999.
^ Folha de S. Paulo, 6 de dezembro de 1999a.
^ Folha de S. Paulo, 6 de dezembro de 1999b.
^ Folha de S. Paulo, 11 de novembro de 1999.
^ A Tribuna, 6 de dezembro de 1999, p. 5.
^ Jornal do Commercio, 9 de dezembro de 1999, p. 13.
^ Jornal do Commercio, 11 de dezembro de 1999, p. 14.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Silva 2021, p. 353.
^ A Tribuna, 11 de dezembro de 1999, p. 6.
^ Diário do Grande ABC, 11 de dezembro de 1999.
^ Tribuna da Imprensa, 28 de dezembro de 1999, p. 2.
^ Pioneiro, 13 de dezembro de 1999, p. 18.
^ Folha de S. Paulo, 14 de dezembro de 1999.
^ Palmerio 2017, p. 138.
^ Folha de S. Paulo, 17 de março de 2000.
^ Olhar Digital, 30 de agosto de 2021.
^ Froehlich et al. 2020, p. 265.
^ Uol, 26 de agosto de 2022.
^ Silva 2021, p. 388.
^ Bôas, IAE, pp. 18–22.

Notes

^ Translation: "Sliver of light".^[3]

Bibliography

(Chronological order)

"Alcântara retoma lançamento de satélites". Jornal do Commercio (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 95, no. 37774. 1999-03-10. p. 4.
"CTA produzirá tecnologia de uso militar". Jornal do Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 109, no. 72. 1999-06-19. p. 4.
Pacelli, Márcio (1999-11-11). "Lançamento do Saci-2 é adiado". Jornal do Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 109, no. 217. p. 14.
Falcão, Daniela (1999-11-11). "Saci-2 altera missão de foguete brasileiro". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese).
"Saci-2 embarca para o Maranhao para ser lançado". Jornal Diário do Grande ABC (in Brazilian Portuguese). 1999-11-28.
"Foguete". A Tribuna (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 106, no. 236. 1999-12-06. p. 5.
"Data de lançamento do VLS-1 é adiada". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 1999-12-06.
"Saci-2 foi para a base com atraso". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 1999-12-06.
"Foguete brasileiro será lançado sábado". Jornal do Commercio (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 173, no. 57. 1999-12-09. p. 13.
"Brasil poe em órbita satélite de coleta de dados". Jornal Diário do Grande ABC (in Brazilian Portuguese). 1999-12-10.
"Saci-2 deve ser lançado hoje, em Alcântara". A Tribuna (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 106, no. 261. 1999-12-11. p. 6.
"Foguete brasileiro lança hoje o Saci-2". Jornal do Commercio (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 173, no. 59. 1999-12-11. p. 14.
"Foguete brasileiro explode 70 segundos após lançamento". Jornal Diário do Grande ABC (in Brazilian Portuguese). 1999-12-11.
"Brasil põe novo satélite em órbita". Pioneiro (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 52, no. 7489. December 1999. p. 37.
Neto, Ricardo Bonalume (1999-12-12). "Foguete brasileiro sobe, mas é explodido após 200 segundos". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese).
Ottoboni, Júlio (1999-12-12). "Inpe cancela programa de microssatélites, após fracasso com Saci-2". Folha de Londrina (in Brazilian Portuguese).
"Inpe cancela programa com fracasso do Saci-2". Pioneiro (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 52, no. 7490. 1999-12-13. p. 18.
França, William; Martins, Cristina Lima (1999-12-14). "Programa espacial brasileiro será revisado". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese).</ref>
Lino, Geraldo Luís (1999-12-27). "O VLS e as pesquisas espaciais". Tribuna da Imprensa (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 50, no. 15246. p. 4.
"Almoço de desagravo a Bräuer terá tom de indignação militar". Tribuna da Imprensa (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 51, no. 15247. 1999-12-28. p. 2.
Martins, Cristina Lima (2000-03-17). "Relatório indica falha de VLS-1". Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese).
Berquó, Jolan Eduardo; Coelho, Elizabeth Cabral; Martinolli, João Bosco; Corrêa, Cleber Souza (February 2004). Relatório da Investigação do Acidente ocorrido com o VLS-1 VO3, em 22 de agosto de 2003, em Alcântara, Maranhão (PDF). São José dos Campos. p. 118. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-11-08.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Palmerio, Ariovaldo Feliz (2017). Introdução à Tecnologia de Foguetes (PDF) (in Brazilian Portuguese) (2 ed.). São José dos Campos: SindCT. p. 304. ISBN 978-85-62042-05-8.
Froehlich; Alonso; Soria; Marchi (2020). Latin America's Emerging Space Middle Powers. Springer International Publishing. p. 446. ISBN 9783030385200.
Bôas, Danton José Fortes Villas. O Veículo Lançador de Satélites - VLS-1 (PDF) (Thesis) (in Brazilian Portuguese). IAE. p. 24.
Silva, Bernardino Coelho da (2021). Desafios de Ícaro (in Brazilian Portuguese). Clube de Autores. p. 690. ISBN 978-65-00-24466-3.
Zurita, Marcelo (2021-08-30). "18 anos do acidente de Alcântara, a tragédia que marcou a história do Programa Espacial Brasileiro". Olhar Digital (in Brazilian Portuguese).
Duarte, Marcella (2022-08-26). "19 anos da tragédia em Alcântara: foguete brasileiro explodiu e matou 21". Uol (in Brazilian Portuguese).

[FOOTNOTE''Folha_de_Londrina'',_12_de_dezembro_de1999-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Folha de Londrina, 12 de dezembro de 1999.

[FOOTNOTE''Pioneiro'',_11-12_de_dezembro_de199937-2] Pioneiro, 11-12 de dezembro de 1999, p. 37.

[FOOTNOTE''Jornal_do_Brasil'',_11_de_novembro_de199914-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Jornal do Brasil, 11 de novembro de 1999, p. 14.

[FOOTNOTEBerquóCoelhoMartinolliCorrêa200412-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Berquó et al. 2004, p. 12.

[FOOTNOTE''Folha_de_S._Paulo'',_12_de_dezembro_de1999-6] Folha de S. Paulo, 12 de dezembro de 1999.

[FOOTNOTE''Tribuna_da_Imprensa'',_27_de_dezembro_de19994-7] Tribuna da Imprensa, 27 de dezembro de 1999, p. 4.

[FOOTNOTE''Diário_do_Grande_ABC'',_10_de_dezembro_de_1999-8] Diário do Grande ABC, 10 de dezembro de 1999.

[FOOTNOTE''Jornal_do_Commercio'',_10_de_março_de19994-9] Jornal do Commercio, 10 de março de 1999, p. 4.

[FOOTNOTE''Jornal_do_Brasil'',_19_de_junho_de19994-10] Jornal do Brasil, 19 de junho de 1999, p. 4.

[FOOTNOTE''Diário_do_Grande_ABC'',_28_de_novembro_de1999-11] Jump up to: ^a ^b Diário do Grande ABC, 28 de novembro de 1999.

[FOOTNOTE''Folha_de_S._Paulo'',_6_de_dezembro_de1999a-12] Folha de S. Paulo, 6 de dezembro de 1999a.

[FOOTNOTE''Folha_de_S._Paulo'',_6_de_dezembro_de1999b-13] Folha de S. Paulo, 6 de dezembro de 1999b.

[FOOTNOTE''Folha_de_S._Paulo'',_11_de_novembro_de1999-14] Folha de S. Paulo, 11 de novembro de 1999.

[FOOTNOTE''A_Tribuna'',_6_de_dezembro_de19995-15] A Tribuna, 6 de dezembro de 1999, p. 5.

[FOOTNOTE''Jornal_do_Commercio'',_9_de_dezembro_de199913-16] Jornal do Commercio, 9 de dezembro de 1999, p. 13.

[FOOTNOTE''Jornal_do_Commercio'',_11_de_dezembro_de199914-17] Jornal do Commercio, 11 de dezembro de 1999, p. 14.

[FOOTNOTESilva2021353-18] Jump up to: ^a ^b Silva 2021, p. 353.

[FOOTNOTE''A_Tribuna'',_11_de_dezembro_de19996-19] A Tribuna, 11 de dezembro de 1999, p. 6.

[FOOTNOTE''Diário_do_Grande_ABC'',_11_de_dezembro_de_1999-20] Diário do Grande ABC, 11 de dezembro de 1999.

[FOOTNOTE''Tribuna_da_Imprensa'',_28_de_dezembro_de19992-21] Tribuna da Imprensa, 28 de dezembro de 1999, p. 2.

[FOOTNOTE''Pioneiro'',_13_de_dezembro_de199918-22] Pioneiro, 13 de dezembro de 1999, p. 18.

[FOOTNOTE''Folha_de_S._Paulo'',_14_de_dezembro_de1999-23] Folha de S. Paulo, 14 de dezembro de 1999.

[FOOTNOTEPalmerio2017138-24] Palmerio 2017, p. 138.

[FOOTNOTE''Folha_de_S._Paulo'',_17_de_março_de2000-25] Folha de S. Paulo, 17 de março de 2000.

[FOOTNOTE''Olhar_Digital'',_30_de_agosto_de2021-26] Olhar Digital, 30 de agosto de 2021.

[FOOTNOTEFroehlichAlonsoSoriaMarchi2020265-27] Froehlich et al. 2020, p. 265.

[FOOTNOTE''Uol'',_26_de_agosto_de2022-28] Uol, 26 de agosto de 2022.

[FOOTNOTESilva2021388-29] Silva 2021, p. 388.

[FOOTNOTE''Bôas'',_IAE18–22-30] Bôas, IAE, pp. 18–22.

[4] Translation: "Sliver of light".^[3]

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v t e ← 1998 Orbital launches in 1999 2000 →
January	Mars Polar Lander ROCSAT-1
February	Stardust Globalstar 23, Globalstar 36, Globalstar 38, Globalstar 40 Telstar 6 JCSAT-6 Soyuz TM-29 ARGOS, Ørsted, SUNSAT Arabsat 3A, Skynet 4E Globus No.15
March	Wide Field Infrared Explorer Globalstar 23, Globalstar 37, Globalstar 41, Globalstar 46 AsiaSat 3S DemoSat
April	Progress M-41, Sputnik 99 INSAT-2E USA-142 Eutelsat W3 Globalstar 19, Globalstar 42, Globalstar 44, Globalstar 45 Landsat 7 UoSAT-12 Ikonos-1 ABRIXAS, Megsat-0 USA-143
May	Orion 3 Feng Yun 1C, Shijian 5 TERRIERS, MUBLCOM Nimiq 1 USA-144 Oceansat-1, Kitsat-3, DLR-Tubsat STS-96 (Starshine 1)
June	Globalstar 25, Globalstar 47, Globalstar 49, Globalstar 52 Iridium 14A, Iridium 21A Astra 1H QuikSCAT FUSE
July	Gran' No.45 Molniya 3-50 Globalstar 30, Globalstar 32, Globalstar 35, Globalstar 51 Progress M-42 Okean-O No.1 STS-93 (Chandra) Globalstar 26, Globalstar 28, Globalstar 43, Globalstar 48
August	Telkom 1, Globalstar 24, Globalstar 27, Globalstar 53, Globalstar 54 Kosmos 2365 Kosmos 2366
September	Koreasat 3 Yamal-101, Yamal-102 Foton 12 Globalstar 33, Globalstar 50, Globalstar 55, Globalstar 58 EchoStar V Ikonos 2 Telstar 7 LMI-1 Resurs F-1M
October	USA-145 DirecTV-1R CBERS-1, SACI-1 Globalstar 31, Globalstar 56, Globalstar 57, Globalstar 59 Orion 2 Ekspress A1
November	GE-4 MTSAT-1 Shenzhou 1 Globalstar 29, Globalstar 34, Globalstar 39, Globalstar 61 USA-146
December	Hélios 1B, Clémentine Orbcomm FM30, Orbcomm FM31, Orbcomm FM32, Orbcomm FM33, Orbcomm FM34, Orbcomm FM35, Orbcomm FM36 XMM-Newton † VLS-1 V02 (SACI-2) USA-147 Terra STS-103 Arirang-1, ACRIMSAT, Millennial Galaxy 11 Kosmos 2367 Kosmos 2368
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).