VSB-30



VSB-30 - "Veículo de Sondagem Booster – 30" (Booster Sounding Vehicle) or "Foguete Suborbital VSB-30" is the designation of a Brazilian sounding rocket, which replaced the Skylark rocket at Esrange.

The VSB-30 is based on the VS-30 rocket (S-30 engine) with the addition of a booster stage (S-31 engine). Development started in 2000 in cooperation with DLR. The rocket can carry a payload of 400 kg to an altitude of 270 km. It has a liftoff thrust of 240 kN and a total mass of 2570 kg. It has a diameter of 0.56 m and a length of 12.6 m.

VSB-30 was first launched on October 23, 2004, at Alcântara Launch Center. The first launch at Esrange took place on December 1, 2005.

Flights
VSB-30 performed the following flights:

Characteristics
VSB-30 has the following configuration:
 * Length (mm): 12600
 * Stages: 2
 * Payload Mass (kg): 400
 * Diameter (mm): 570
 * Total takeoff mass (kg): 2570
 * Apogee (Max km): 270

S-30 solid rocket stage

 * Gross Mass: 1,200 kg (2,646 lb)
 * Unfuelled mass: 341 kg (752 lb)
 * Height: 3.30 m (10.80 ft)
 * Diameter: 0.56 m (1.83 ft)
 * Thrust: 102.00 kN (22,930 lbf)
 * Burn time: 20 s

S-31 solid rocket stage

 * Gross Mass: 900 kg (1,984 lb)
 * Unfuelled mass: 284 kg (626 lb)
 * Height: 3.20 m (10.40 ft)
 * Diameter: 0.56 m (1.83 ft)
 * Thrust: 240.00 kN (53,950 lbf)
 * Burn time: 11 s