VS-40

VS-40 (Foguete Suborbital VS-40)

VS-40 rocket on display in Brazil
Function	Sounding rocket
Country of origin	Brazil
Size
Height	9.5 m (31 ft)
Diameter	1.01 m (3 ft 4 in)
Mass	6,800 kg (15,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to sub-orbital flight
Altitude	650 km (400 mi)
Mass	500 kg (1,100 lb)
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Alcântara Space Center, Andøya Space, Barreira do Inferno Launch Center
Total launches	3
Failure	11
First flight	2 April 1993
First stage – S40TM
Gross mass	4,200 kg (9,300 lb)
Specific impulse	275 seconds (2.70 km/s)
Burn time	56 seconds
Second stage – S44M
Gross mass	810 kg (1,790 lb)
Maximum thrust	33.24 kN (7,470 lbf)
Specific impulse	282 seconds (2.77 km/s)
Burn time	68 seconds

The VS-40 (Foguete Suborbital VS-40) is a Brazilian sounding rocket using solid fuel and stabilized aerodynamically.

The original version, VS-40, uses the S-40TM (4,200 kg) first stage engine and the S-44M (810 kg) second stage engine.²³⁴ This configuration corresponds to the upper stages of the VLS-1 rocket.⁵

Version VS-40M used a S-40M engine for the first stage.⁴

VS40 performed the following flights:^4678910111

A flight of VS-40M carrying "SARA Suborbital 2" was planned but eventually cancelled. A future flight of VS-40M carrying HIFiRE 8 is in development.⁴

• Length (mm) 6725
• Payload Mass (kg) 500
• Diameter (mm) 1000
• Total takeoff mass (kg) 6,737
• Mass of propellant (kg) 5,054
• Structural mass (kg) 1,028
• Apogee (km) 650
• Microgravity time (s) 760

The S-40 is a solid-propellant rocket motor developed and manufactured by Avibras Aeroespacial, a Brazilian aerospace company, primarily for use in sounding rockets. Different versions were used on several rockets:⁴

• S-40 - first stage of Sonda IV
• S-40TM - first stage of VS-40; third stage of VLS-1⁵¹³
• S-40M - first stage of VS-40M; second stage of VLM

Source:¹³

• Total mass: 5664 kg
• Unfueled mass: 1212kg
• Thrust: 208.39 kN
• SI: 275 seconds
• Burn time: 56 s

The S-44 is a solid-propellant rocket motor developed by the Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço (IAE), part of Brazil’s Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia Aeroespacial (DCTA).¹⁴ It was used as second stage of VS-40 and VS-40M; the third stage of VLM and the fourth stage of VLS-1.⁴

Source:¹⁴

• Total mass: 1025 kg
• Unfueled mass: 190 kg
• Thrust: 33.24 kN
• SI: 282 seconds
• Burn time: 68 s