Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 2, 2026

Chilca Launch Range

Chilca is a rocket launch site in Peru at 12°30′S 76°48′W, near the town of Chilca in the municipality of Pucusana, about 70 km south of the center of Lima.

Last revised
Jun 2, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
Length
875 w
Citations
15
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Chilca
Peru
Site information
Typerocket launch site
Location
Chilca
Location in Peru
Coordinates12°30′S 76°48′W / 12.500°S 76.800°W / -12.500; -76.800
Site history
Built1974 (1974)

Chilca (Punta Lobos) is a rocket launch site in Peru at 12°30′S 76°48′W / 12.500°S 76.800°W / -12.500; -76.800 (Chilca Launch Range), near the town of Chilca in the municipality of Pucusana, about 70 km south of the center of Lima.12

Chilca was in service from 1974 and was mainly used for launching Arcas and Nike sounding rockets.12

The Peruvian Paulet sounding rocket has been launching from here since 2006.3456

Paulet I-C launched from Punta Lobos in December 2021 source ↗

In 2015 the Centro Nacional de Operaciones de Imágenes Satelitales (CNOIS) opened near the site.7

Launches

The Chilca / Punta Lobos launch site is in use since 1974:123

Date, Time (UTC) Vehicle Entity Apogee (km)
March 29, 1974, 02:00 Black Brant 4B Aerospace Corporation 742
May 24, 1974, 01:00 Nike Tomahawk NASA 18.170GE NASA 338
May 24, 1974, 01:05 Super Arcas NASA 15.139UE NASA 93
May 24, 1974, 01:52 Super Arcas NASA 15.133GM NASA 71
May 24, 1974, 06:55 Nike Tomahawk NASA 18.171GE NASA 324
May 24, 1974, 07:05 Super Arcas NASA 15.140UE NASA 91
May 24, 1974, 07:44 Super Arcas NASA 15.134GM NASA 88
May 24, 1974, 08:42 Super Arcas NASA 15.135GM NASA 67
May 24, 1974, 2:24 p.m. Super Loki G 1-7743 NASA 70
May 24, 1974, 19:00 Super Loki G 1-7742 NASA 70
May 25, 1974, 19:44 Super Loki G 1-7744 NASA 69
May 27, 1974, ? Nike Apache NASA 14.531UA NASA 127
May 27, 1974, 08:01 Nike Apache NASA 14.530UA NASA 127
May 28, 1974, 19:30 Super Arcas NASA 15.142UE NASA 86
May 28, 1974, 20:26 Nike Apache NASA 14.532UE NASA 191
May 28, 1974, 21:16 Super Arcas NASA 15.141UE NASA 82
May 29, 1975, 03:55 Nike Apache NASA 14.538UA NASA 131
May 30, 1975, 04:35 Nike Apache NASA 14.524UE NASA 187
June 2, 1975, 05:11 Nike Apache NASA 14.525UE NASA 187
June 3, 1975, 16:14 Nike Tomahawk NASA 18.149GE NASA 20 (failure)
June 3, 1975, 16:41 Nike Apache NASA 14.540CA NASA 204
June 7, 1975, 16:07 Nike Tomahawk NASA 259
June 7, 1975, 16:25 Nike Apache NASA 197
March 21, 1979, 11:49 p.m. Castor (A) DFVLR 0 (failure)
March 22, 1979, 11:53 p.m. Castor (A) DFVLR 268
Oct. 23, 1979, 11:04 p.m. Nike Nike GL A45.803-1 US Air Force Geophysics Laboratory 50
October 24, 1979, 11:24 p.m. Nike Nike GL A45.803-2 US Air Force Geophysics Laboratory 50
Oct. 29, 1979, 11:04 p.m. Nike Nike GL A45.803-3 US Air Force Geophysics Laboratory 50
February 27, 1983, 16:33 Nike Orion NASA 31.28UE NASA 140
March 2, 1983, 02:51 Terrier Malemute NASA 29.20UE NASA 590
March 3, 1983, 03:54 Taurus Orion NASA 33.26UE NASA 200
March 8, 1983, 15:15 Super Loki TU1-0380 NASA 82
March 8, 1983, 16:35 Nike Orion NASA 31.26GE NASA 140
March 8, 1983, 17:16 Super Arcas NASA 15.218UE NASA 80
March 8, 1983, 19:17 Super Loki TU1-0388 NASA 65
March 8, 1983, 10:00 p.m. Super Arcas NASA 15.223UE NASA 80
March 8, 1983, 23:27 Super Arcas NASA 15.221UE NASA 80
March 9, 1983, 01:00 Super Arcas NASA 15.220UE NASA 80
March 9, 1983, 02:25 Super Loki TU1-0381 PWN-12A NASA 80
March 9, 1983, 02:38 Super Loki TU1-0358 NASA 88
March 9, 1983, 03:06 Nike Orion NASA 31.27GE NASA 140
March 9, 1983, 03:27 Nike Orion NASA 31.32GE NASA 140
March 9, 1983, 03:52 Super Loki TU1-0389 NASA 81
March 9, 1983, 05:00 Super Loki TU1-0382 NASA 82
March 9, 1983, 05:20 Super Loki TU1-0383 PWN-12A NASA 80
March 9, 1983, 05:32 Super Loki TU1-0359 NASA 79
March 9, 1983, 05:49 Super Loki TU1-0383 PWN-12A NASA 80
March 9, 1983, 06:10 Super Loki TU1-0385 NASA 88
March 9, 1983, 07:46 Super Loki TU1-0390 NASA 80
March 9, 1983, 08:20 Super Loki TU1-0386 NASA 88
March 9, 1983, 08:57 Nike Orion NASA 31.33GE. NASA 140
March 9, 1983, 09:20 Super Loki TU1-0361 NASA 85
March 9, 1983, 10:11 Super Arcas NASA 15.219UE NASA 80
March 9, 1983, 12:00 Super Arcas NASA 15.222UE NASA 80
March 12, 1983, 3:35 p.m. Taurus Orion NASA 33.27UE NASA 200
March 12, 1983, 17:09 Nike Orion NASA 31.29UE NASA 140
March 15, 1983, 02:33 Terrier Malemute NASA 29.19UE NASA 520
March 21, 1983, 09:53 Taurus Tomahawk NASA 34.10UE NASA 500
March 23, 1983, 09:50 Taurus Tomahawk NASA 34.09UE NASA 500
March 23, 1983, 18:52 Super Loki TU1-0391 NASA 78
December 27, 2006 Paulet I4 CONIDA 45
September 2, 2009, 6:17 p.m. Paulet IM CONIDA 90
September 30, 2011, 7:50 p.m. X-PAX-II CONIDA
June 12, 2013 Paulet I-B5 CONIDA 15
December 22, 2021 Paulet I-C6 CONIDA
References

References

  1. Wade. "Chilca". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  2. Wade. "Chilca Punta Lobos". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  3. Romero (2012). "Sounding Rocket Program in Peru". SpaceOps 2012 Conference. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. doi:10.2514/6.2012-1275893.
  4. "El Paulet 1, Hito Tecnológico Peruano". DESARROLLO PERUANO. December 10, 2007. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  5. "Perú lanza su primer cohete fabricado solo con tecnología nacional". La Republica. 2016-02-07. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  6. "Conida realiza lanzamiento del cohete sonda Paulet 1C". Agencia Peruana de Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  7. Watson (December 21, 2015). "Perú inaugura su centro nacional de operaciones de imágenes satelitales". Infoespacial (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-26.