Brazil launches rocket to test suborbital recovery system

Brazil launched the VS-30 V16 sounding rocket from the Barreira do Inferno Launch Center in Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, to test a parachute recovery system. The mission, part of Operação Potiguar 2, carries the Recoverable Suborbital Microgravity Platform (PSM-R).

The primary objective is to qualify the parachute system under real flight conditions, as the stresses experienced during descent cannot be fully replicated in ground tests. The recovery system is designed to allow the platform to return to Earth and be rescued at sea, which is essential for scientific research requiring the retrieval of samples for laboratory analysis.

Developed by the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), the Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE), and Orbital Engenharia, the PSM-R supports scientific and technological experiments by providing power, telemetry data, and orientation control. Successful recovery aims to enable equipment reuse, reduce the interval between launches, and significantly lower operational costs.