The Alcântara Space Center (, CEA), formerly known as Alcântara Launch Center (,) is a space center and launching facility of the Brazilian Space Agency in the city of Alcântara, located on Brazil's northern Atlantic coast, in the state of Maranhão.Brazil, Ukraine to launch rocket together in 2010, UNIAN (December 3, 2009) It is operated by the Brazilian Air Force (). The CEA is the closest launching base to the equator. This gives the launch site a significant advantage in launching geosynchronous satellites, an attribute shared by the Guiana Space Centre.
Due to its location, it is well-positioned for geosynchronous launch. As such, several agencies and companies have studied or signed agreements to launch from Alcântara, including Ukraine's Tsyklon-4,President of Ukraine signs Decree on measures to ensure realization of Ukrainian-Brazilian project of creating space rocket complex "Cyclone - 4" Israel's Shavit,"Launchers" by Tim Furniss, 26 August 2003, Flight International Russia's Proton,Interfax: Russia & CIS Defense Industry Weekly, 21 May 2010 Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne and Innospace's Hanbit-Nano.
Construction of the base began in 1982. The first launch occurred on February 21, 1990, when the sounding rocket Sonda 2 XV-53 was launched. On August 22, 2003, the explosion of the third VLS-1 (XV-03) killed 21 people.
Construction Construction of the Alcântara Space Center began in 1982, as the Brazilian Space Agency's existing rocket range at Barreira do Inferno Launch Center was being overtaxed by growing demand for launch capacity. In 2020, the government of Brazil announced their plan to expand the base by more than 12,000 hectares.
Controversies The construction of the space center was controversial, as the site for the center was located on several quilombos, settlements inhabited largely by descendants of escaped slaves in Brazil. In 1980, Brazil's military government forcibly relocated more than 300 families to inland villages away from the coast to make way for the center. This heavily disrupted their traditional livelihood of fishing and led to multiple cases of malnutrition among the residents.
Human rights concerns over the displacement of locals were reported on during the center's planned expansions in 2001 and 2021, with residents and activists lobbying the government to halt expansions to prevent more communities from being displaced. In 2023, the Brazilian government issued a public apology to the quilombolas and offered reparations.
Public-private partnership Companies based in Alcântara as of 2021, with the objective of orbital and sub-orbital launches, for commercial purposes or in partnership with the Brazilian government:
C6 Launch Hyperion Rocket Systems OrionAST Innospace
As of August 2021, the Brazilian government established Ordinance No. 698, a regulation that follows the FAA 14 CFR part 450 standard, which deals with launch and re-entry licenses in order to follow the world standard in space activities. El gobierno regula los lanzamientos de sistemas espaciales privados en Brasil. Date: September, 5, 2021.
Agreement between Brazil and the U.S. In 2019, Brazil and the U.S. signed an agreement, with the objective of preventing unauthorized access or transfer of U.S. technologies related to the launches from Alcântara.
Structures Engine preparation facilities (Preparação de Propulsores - PPP) Payload preparation facilities (Preparação de Carga Útil - PPCU) Liquid-fuel loading facilities (Preparação de Carregamento de Propelentes - PCPL) Universal launch tower Mobile Integration Tower (TMI - Torre Móvel de Integração): 33m × 10m × 13m, 380 metric tons. Used for VLS rocket assembly. Control center (Prédio de Controle Avançado - CASAMATA). 2600m runway
List of launchpads The Alcântara launch pads include: VLS Pad (with Mobile Integration Tower - TMI) MRL Pad (general sounding rocket pad) "Universal" pad for rockets up to 10 tons A newly built pad to support Innospace's launches
Launch list The list of flights conducted and planned from Alcântara:
Alcântara Space Center (from 2021) Date Vehicle Type Operator Mission Payload Orbit Result Ref 14 December 2021 14-X (XS VSB-30 V32) Hypersonic glide vehicle FAB Qualification flight — Suborbital 23 October 2022 VSB-30 Two-stage suborbital launcher AEB Santa Branca Operation PSM Suborbital 19 March 2023 HANBIT-TLV Single-stage suborbital launcher Innospace Astrolábio Operation (test flight) SISNAV Suborbital 22 December 2025 HANBIT-Nano Two-stage orbital launcher Innospace Spaceward (orbital test flight) 8 payloads Low Earth 19 August 2026SEBITSingle-stage suborbital launcherInnospaceTest mission—Suborbital November 2026HANBIT-NanoTwo-stage orbital launcherInnospaceReturn-to-flight missionLow Earth VS-50 Two-stage suborbital launcher AEB Qualification of VLM-1 subsystems Suborbital VLM-1 Three-stage orbital launcher AEB VLM-1 Maiden Flight (fully operational) Low Earth
Alcântara Launch Center (1982-2022) Date Vehicle Mission Result Altitude 1 December 1985 VLS-R1 VLS test launch Failure in flight, apogee of 10 km 18 May 1989 VLS-R2 VLS test launch 50 km 21 February 1990 Sonda 2 XV-53 Alcântara Ionosphere 101 km 26 November 1990 Sonda 2 XV-54 Manival Ionosphere 91 km 9 December 1991 Sonda 2 XV-55 Aguas Belas Ionosphere 88 km 1 June 1992 Sonda 3 XV-24 Aeronomy 282 km 31 October 1992 Sonda 2 XV-56 Ponta de Areia Ionosphere 32 km 22 March 1993 Sonda 2 XV-57 Maruda Ionosphere 102 km 2 April 1993 VS-40 PT-01 VS-40 Test 950 km 19 August 1994 Nike Orion MALTED/CADRE Ionosphere 140 km 20 August 1994 Nike Orion MALTED/CADRE Ionosphere 140 km 24 August 1994 Nike Orion MALTED/CADRE Ionosphere 140 km 25 August 1994 Nike Orion MALTED/CADRE Ionosphere 140 km 9 September 1994 Black Brant Ionosphere 250 km 21 September 1994 Black Brant Ionosphere 250 km 23 September 1994 Nike Tomahawk Ionosphere 270 km 23 September 1994 Nike Tomahawk Ionosphere 270 km 24 September 1994 Nike Tomahawk Ionosphere 270 km 24 September 1994 Nike Tomahawk Ionosphere 270 km 6 October 1994 Black Brant Ionosphere 250 km 14 October 1994 Black Brant Guará H.Alt Spread F Ionosphere 956 km 15 October 1994 Black Brant Ionosphere 250 km 28 April 1997 VS-30 XV-01 VS-30 Test 128 km 2 November 1997 VLS-1 V01 VLS-1 Destroyed during launch 21 March 1998 VS-40 VS-40 Test 900 km 15 March 1999 VS-30 XV-04 Operação San Marcos 128 km 11 December 1999 VLS-1 V02 SACI-2 10 km (Destroyed by range safety) 6 February 2000 VS-30 XV-05 Lençóis Maranhenses 148 km 21 August 2000 VS-30/Orion XV-01 Baronesa 315 km 23 November 2002 VS-30/Orion XV-02 Piraperna Ionosphere 434 km 1 December 2002 VS-30 XV-06 Cumã 145 km 22 August 2003 VLS-1 XV-03 SATEC Exploded on ground (2003 Alcântara VLS accident) 23 October 2004 VSB-30 XV-01 Cajuana Test 100 km 23 October 2004 VSB-30 V01 VSB-30 Flight Test 259 km 19 July 2007 VSB-30 V04 Cumã II 242 km 29 May 2009Xinhua: Brazil launches rocket to test launching base Xinhua. Retrieved on 2009-05-30. Orion Maracati 1 93 km 10 August 2009 FTB FogTrein I 12 December 2010Brazil launches mid-sized rocket FoxNews. Retrieved on 2010-12-15. VSB-30 V07 Maracati 2 242 km (payload recovered) 8 December 2012 VS-30/Orion V.10 Iguaiba 52 km 9 August 2013 FTB Operação Falcão 32 km 9 May 2014 FTB Operação Águia I 21 August 2014 FTI Operação Águia II 1 September 2014 VS-30 V.13 Operação Raposa L-5 liquid engine test 12 September 2018 VS-30 V.14 Operação MUTITI 120 km 22 May 2019 FTB Operação Águia I/2019 2 launchers 25 June 2020 FTB Operação Falcão I/2020 30 km 23 November 2021 FTI Operação Águia III ~60 km 14 December 202114-XSOperação Cruzeiro 280 km 1 June 2022FTBOperação Falcon I/2022 30 km 23 October 2022 VSB-30 V.29 Operação Santa Branca 227 km Source: Astronautix (Until 2010)"Astronautix: Alcantara Chronology and Launch Log".
See also Aerospace Operations Command Brazilian space command Rocket Launch Sites Worldwide
References
External links Official site . Encyclopedia Astronautica about Alcantara, with maps, chronology and launch log. About the Alcantara Launch Center at globalsecurity.org. Space Today - Brazil's Atlantic Spaceports. Brazil spaceport threat to villages (BBC article). Alcântara Cyclone Space