VS-30

VS-30
FunctionSounding rocket
ManufacturerInstituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço
Country of originBrazil
Size
Height5 m (16.40 ft)
Diameter0.56 m (1.83 ft)
Mass1,400 kg (3,000 lb)
Stages1 or 2
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesAlcântara
Andøya
Barreira do Inferno
Svalbard Rocket Range
Failure1
First flightApril 28, 1997
First Stage - S-30
Powered by1× S-30 solid rocket motor
Maximum thrust102.00 kN (22,930 lbf)
Burn time20 seconds
PropellantAP / HTPB
Second stage – Improved Orion (optional)
Height2.8 m
Diameter0.35 m
Powered by1 Aerojet M112 dual-thrust solid rocket motor
Maximum thrust7 kN (1,600 lbf)
Burn time32 seconds

The VS-30 is a Brazilian sounding rocket, developed by the Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço and derived from the Sonda 3 sounding rocket first stage. It consists of a single, solid-fuelled S-30 stage, and has been launched from Alcântara, Maranhão and Barreira do Inferno, Rio Grande do Norte, in Brazil, and Andøya and Svalbard Rocket Range in Norway.

It has been launched both on its own, or in the VS-30 Orion configuration, with an American Improved Orion second stage. On its own, it can reach an apogee of 140 kilometres, and with an Orion upper stage, it can reach an apogee of 434 kilometres.

The VS-30 is also used as the upper stage of the VSB-30 rocket.