VLS-1 V02 was the second flight of the VLS-1 rocket on December 11, 1999, from the Alcântara Launch Center, with the objective of placing the SACI-2 microsatellite in LEO. The rocket was remotely destroyed 3 minutes after launch.
Origins The mission's goal was to place the SACI-2 satellite in into a circular orbit 750 km high. This followed after SACI-1, launched by China, was lost due to a transmitter failure. It was the second launch of the VLS-1 rocket, with the first being lost shortly after launch. The launch campaign was called "Operation Almenara", and occurred after the necessary modifications had been made. The total cost of the operation was US$7.4 million, with the satellite being valued at R$2.04 million (U$ 1124628.18). The budget constraints prevented a test launch before the official launch. SACI-2's mission was to collect hydro-meteorological and environmental data as part of a study of space geophysics. In March 1999 the preparations at the Alcântara Launch Center were underway. On June 18, 1999, Defense Minister Élcio Álvares observed the rocket's assembly and integration activities at the Aeronautics Institute of Technology. SACI-2 began to be assembled in July and arrived in Maranhão on November 28, 1999. The launch was planned for November 20, 1999, but tests of SACI-2 in the thermo-vacuum chamber indicated a failure in one of the electronic components. The rocket was ready by the same month. The satellite problem was solved by replacing the memory in the internal computer. If the satellite had not been repaired before launch, they considered dismantling the VLS or launching it empty. The launch was later scheduled for December 7, but was postponed due to problems with the rocket. On the same day, December 7, the launch center teams wrapped up the simulated countdown. Around 600 people were involved in the launch, and the airspace in the region was closed for approximately three hours.
Launch VLS-1 V02 was launched on December 11, 1999, at 18:40 (UTC), after a ten-minute delay. The four strap-on boosters worked correctly, however, it was remotely destroyed after 3 minutes and 30 seconds due to the second stage not being activated. The debris fell within the interdicted area. The announcement of the failure only came one hour and 20 minutes after the accident. According to the official version, Brigadier Tiago Ribeiro, responsible for the announcement, would have been ill due to emotion after the accident.
Aftermath The announcement came from the INPE directorate in São José dos Campos, about an hour before an official military announcement. The Brazilian Air Force relied on help from fishing communities to locate the wreckage. Its four boosters fell 60 kilometers off the coast of the Parnaíba region; the second stage and the rest of the rocket fell off the coast of Fortaleza. Among military circles there were rumors that the VLS had been the victim of sabotage. The Brazilian and international media had difficulty communicating with their newspapers due to overloaded Internet. The failure led INPE to cancel the microsatellite program. On December 13, 1999, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso announced that the project would be reviewed by the MCT, the Aeronautics and INPE. The investigation revealed that the accident was due to a flame penetration of the second stage block and the front flexible heat shield flap. The next launch, VLS-1 V03, after plans to launch it in 2001, was finally scheduled for 2003. However, on August 22, 2003, three days before the launch, the rocket was destroyed at its base due to an accidental ignition, leading to 21 deaths. Following the 2003 accident, "Tribuna da Imprensa" revealed that electrical cables had been found to have been cut "intentionally" on the 1999 flight. VLS-1 V04 had 70% of its structure built, but the program was terminated in 2016.
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