In the next few days, the Alcântara Launch Center, in Maranhão, will launch the first commercial rocket made under contract with a private company. The launch of South Korea’s HANBIT-TLV rocket, from Innospace, is expected to take place on December 19 at 6 a.m.

The operation was named Astrolabio and has the participation of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), an autarky from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation , and Innospace, a South Korean satellite launcher startup.

“Brazil has the ambition to become one of the most important players in the space transport scenario, thanks to all the geographical facilities and our skills. And this operation with Innospace is historic because it marks the first private operation of the port space of Alcântara. This opens a new chapter in our space program and new perspectives for our space economy,” said Brazilian Space Agency President Carlos Augusto Teixeira de Moura.

He explained that the idea is that from this pioneering launch, several more will occur, not only from Innospace itself, but also from other companies. Now the South Korean rocket will only perform suborbital flight using one engine, but later Innospace will perform more complex launches, until it reaches the condition of placing satellites in orbit .

A Canadian company is already planning to launch from Alcântara in the middle of next year and others are in negotiation. Perhaps, still in the second half of the year, a third private company will bid for the space in the port of Alcântara, according to Carlos Augusto Teixeira

In addition to being considered an important step, the Astrolábio operation will bring gains to the two agents involved, as explained by the president of the AEB. “This operation has two objectives, one is for the vehicle operator, Innospace, which will test in flight an unprecedented engine, hybrid propulsion, developed by it. From our point of view, we are the ones who use the launch center as a port space, at the service of an external client. More or less like an international airport when it receives an airline plane from abroad. This is a great opportunity to qualify our systems for the benefit of private operation,” he said.

Last Thursday (12/15), the Alcântara Launch Center successfully completed the first vertical test for the launch of the South Korean rocket. On December 3, the rocket parts from South Korea arrived at São Luís International Airport (MA), in a Boeing 747. The more than 8 tons of components were transported in 3 trucks to the town of Alcântara (MA).

enhanced space program

The use of the Alcântara launch center and the resumption of the Brazilian space program has been one of the priorities of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation since 2019. One of the first measures was to work with the National Congress to approve technological safeguards. Accord (AST), which had been stalled for 20 years. In October 2019, the agreement passed both the House and the Senate.

The AST is an agreement in which Brazil undertakes to protect American technologies used in the components of rockets or satellites that will be launched from the Alcântara launch center.

The ministry’s next step was the establishment of an Integrated Development Commission and Development Program, which brought together members of the federal, state and municipal governments, as well as the region’s community, to adopt policies that direct the economic and social potential of the launch Center of the city and its population.

On another front, the Brazilian Space Agency has revised licensing rules and launched a public notice to identify private interest in using the Alcântara launch center, in which four companies have been qualified, which enables the current launch of Innospace.