The launch of a rocket at the base of the Alcântara Launch Center, on the coast of Maranhão, marks the beginning of the public-private partnership for launching small satellites between the federal government and the startup South Korean aerospace.
The launch of the first rocket produced by the South Korean company Innospace should take place on Sunday (18).
The HANBIT-TLV rocket, which is unmanned and has non-toxic, non-explosive engine technology, produced by Innospace, is a small satellite launcher. It will be the first test flight of the equipment, produced in South Korea.
During the launch, called Operation Astrolabe, the rocket will use propellants based on liquid oxygen and paraffin. Its patented electric pump power system will carry an Inertial Navigation System as a payload, developed by civil and military professionals from the Brazilian Institute of Aeronautics and Space.
The planned flight “is a test” to verify the performance of the engine of the HANBIT-TLV. The rocket will not exceed 100 kilometers in altitude, not entering orbit, that is, it will be in the suborbital category.
The contract signed between the South Koreans and the Brazilian government in 2022 lasts for five years and provides that from next year other rockets can be launched from Alcântara.
The Launch Center in the municipality of Maranhão is considered strategic in the space market because of its proximity, of just 17 minutes, in relation to the Equator Line, making flights departing from there reach space faster, resulting in fuel savings , one of the main expenses for the operation.
