Sonda (rocket)
Family of sounding rockets
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sonda ("Probe" in English) is a family of Brazilian-built sounding rockets which serves as an R&D path to the VLS (Portuguese: Veículo Lançador de Satélites) orbital rocket. Launches started in 1965 and continue to this day. Launch sites include Wallops Island, Andøya, Kiruna, Natal, Alcântara, Cassino and SvalRak.[1][2][3]
Sonda I
The Sonda I is a two stage rocket (S-10-1 & S-10-2 rocket stages) with a maximum flight altitude of 65 km, a liftoff thrust of 27 kN a total mass of 100 kg, a diameter of 11 cm and a length of 4.5 metres. It was launched 9 times between 1965 and 1966.[4]
Diagram with Sonda I rocket dimensions
Sonda I on display
Sonda 1 (right) at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Sonda II
The Sonda II is a single stage rocket (S-20 rocket stage) with a maximum flight altitude of 180 km, a liftoff thrust of 36 kN, a total mass of 400 kg, a core diameter of 0.30 m and a total length of 5.60 m. It was launched 7 times between 1990 and 1996.[5]
Diagram with Sonda II rocket dimensions
Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Sonda II on display
Sonda II on display
Sonda II at Parque Santos Dumont
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Sonda III
Sonda III is a two stage rocket available in three versions, the Sonda III (S-30 & S-20 rocket stages), the Sonda III M1 (S-30 & S-23 rocket stages) and the Sonda IIIA (S-30 & S-33 rocket stages).[6] The first two versions rockets have a maximum flight altitude of 600 km, a liftoff thrust of 102 kN, a diameter of 0.30 m and a length of 8 m. However Sonda III weighs 1500 kg while Sonda III M1 weighs 1400 kg at launch. It was launched 27 times between 1976 and 2002.[7]
Diagram with Sonda III rocket dimensions
Sonda III rocket variations
Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Sonda III at Barreira do Inferno
Sonda III on display
Sonda III at Parque Santos Dumont
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Sonda IV
Sonda IV is a two stage rocket (S-40 & S-43 rocket stages)[8] with a maximum flight altitude of 800 km, a liftoff thrust of 203.00 kN, a total mass of 7200 kg, a diameter of 1.01 m and a length of 11 m. It was launched 7 times between 1984 and 1990.[9]
Diagram with Sonda IV rocket dimensions
Sonda IV at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Sonda IV at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Sonda IV on display
Sonda IV on display
Sonda IV at Parque Santos Dumont
Sonda IV on pad
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Stages and engines
The Sonda series uses the following stages and engines:
S-10-1 rocket stage
The S-10-1 rocket stage has the following specifications:[10][11]
- Engine: Sonda 1 Booster
- Developer: IAE
- Thrust: 27.00 kN (6,070 lbf)
- Gross mass: 30 kg (66 lb)
- Unfuelled mass: 15 kg (33 lb)
- Height: 1.50 m (4.90 ft)
- Diameter: 0.13 m (0.42 ft)
- Usage: Sonda I first stage
S-10-2 rocket stage
The S-10-2 rocket stage has the following specifications:[12][13]
- Engine: Sonda 1
- Developer: IAE
- Gross mass: 30 kg (66 lb)
- Unfuelled mass: 14 kg (30 lb)
- Height: 2.10 m (6.80 ft)
- Diameter: 0.11 m (0.36 ft)
- Thrust: 4.20 kN (944 lbf)
- Burn time: 32 s
- Usage: Sonda I second stage
S-20 rocket stage
The S-20 rocket stage has the following specifications:[14][15][16]
- Engine: S-20
- Developer: Avibras
- Thrust: 36.00 kN (8,093 lbf)
- Gross mass: 300 kg (660 lb)
- Unfuelled mass: 77 kg (169 lb)
- Height: 4.20 m (13.70 ft)
- Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft)
- Thrust: 36.00 kN (8,093 lbf)
- Burn time: 20 s.
- Usage: Sonda II, Sonda III second stage
S-23 rocket stage
The S-23 rocket stage has the following specifications:[17][18]
- Engine: S-23
- Developer: Avibras
- Gross mass: 200 kg (440 lb).
- Unfuelled mass: 69 kg (152 lb).
- Height: 2.20 m (7.20 ft).
- Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft).
- Thrust: 18.00 kN (4,046 lbf).
- Burn time: 20 s
- Usage: Sonda III M1 second stage
S-30 rocket stage
The S-30 rocket stage has the following specifications:
- Usage: Sonda III series first stage, VLS fourth stage, VS-30 Orion and VSB-30 first stage
S-33 rocket stage
The S-33 rocket stage has the following specifications:
- Usage: Sonda IIIA second stage
S-40 rocket stage
The S-40 rocket stage has the following specifications:
S-43 rocket stage
The S-43 rocket stage has the following specifications:[19][20]
- Engine: S-43
- Developer: IAE
- Chamber Pressure: 56.20 bar
- Area Ratio: 12.82
- Gross mass: 8,425 kg (18,573 lb)
- Unfuelled mass: 1,245 kg (2,744 lb)
- Height: 9.00 m (29.50 ft)
- Diameter: 1.00 m (3.20 ft)
- Thrust: 303.00 kN (68,117 lbf)
- Specific impulse: 265 s
- Specific impulse sea level: 225 s
- Burn time: 59 s
- Usage: Sonda IV second stage, VLS first second stage engines