Sonda (rocket)

In today's world, Sonda (rocket) is a topic that has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. Whether due to its historical relevance, its impact on modern society or simply because of its popularity, Sonda (rocket) is a topic that leaves no one indifferent. From its origins to the present day, Sonda (rocket) has played a crucial role in people's lives, and that is why more and more people are seeking to learn more about this fascinating topic. In this article, we will explore in depth the different facets of Sonda (rocket), from its origins to its influence today, to discover its true reach and relevance in society.

Sonda rockets family portrait
Side-by-side comparison of Sonda rockets, to scale
Sonda II, III and IV on display at Parque Santos Dumont

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, Andoya, Kiruna, Natal, Alcântara, Cassino and SvalRak.[1][2][3]

Sonda I

The Sonda I is a two stage rocket (S10-1 & 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
    Diagram with Sonda I rocket dimensions
  • Sonda I on display
    Sonda I on display
  • Sonda 1 (right) at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
    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
    Diagram with Sonda II rocket dimensions
  • Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
    Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
  • Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
    Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
  • Sonda II on display
    Sonda II on display
  • Sonda II on display
    Sonda II on display
  • Sonda II at Parque Santos Dumont
    Sonda II at Parque Santos Dumont

Sonda III

Sonda III is a two stage rocket available in three versions, the Sonda III (S30 & S-20 rocket stages), the Sonda III M1 (S30 & S-23 rocket stages) and the Sonda IIIA (S30 & S33 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
    Diagram with Sonda III rocket dimensions
  • Sonda III rocket variations
    Sonda III rocket variations
  • Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
    Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
  • Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
    Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
  • Sonda III at Barreira do Inferno
    Sonda III at Barreira do Inferno
  • Sonda III on display
    Sonda III on display
  • Sonda III at Parque Santos Dumont
    Sonda III at Parque Santos Dumont

Sonda IV

Sonda IV is a two stage rocket (S30 & S-43 rocket stages) 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.[8]

  • Diagram with Sonda IV rocket dimensions
    Diagram with Sonda IV rocket dimensions
  • Sonda IV at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
    Sonda IV at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
  • Sonda IV at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
    Sonda IV at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
  • Sonda IV on display
    Sonda IV on display
  • Sonda IV on display
    Sonda IV on display
  • Sonda IV at Parque Santos Dumont
    Sonda IV at Parque Santos Dumont
  • Sonda IV on pad
    Sonda IV on pad

References

  1. ^ Wade (August 24, 2015). "Sonda". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2015-08-24.
  2. ^ Lucca, Eduardo Viegas Dalle (February 2014). The Brazilian Sounding Rocket VSB-30: meeting the Brazilian Space Program and COPUOS objectives (PDF). DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
  3. ^ Corliss, William R. (1971). "Sounding Rocket Resurgence, 1965-1968". NASA SOUNDING ROCKETS, 1958-1968 A Historical Summary (NASA SP-4401). NASA. pp. 61–74. LCCN 70-169175.
  4. ^ Wade (August 24, 2015). "Sonda 1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2015-08-24.
  5. ^ Wade (August 24, 2015). "Sonda 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2015-08-24.
  6. ^ "SONDA III". Agência Espacial Brasileira (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  7. ^ Wade (August 24, 2015). "Sonda 3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2015-08-24.
  8. ^ Wade (2016-03-03). "Sonda 4". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2024-04-16.