VLM-1
*Veículo Lançador de Microssatélites*
Size
VLM-1 configuration
Function	Orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Institute of Aeronautics and Space
Country of origin	Brazil
Height	19.6 m (64 ft)
Diameter	1.45 m (4 ft 9 in)
Mass	28,000 kg (62,000 lb)
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	150 kg (330 lb) to 300 km^[1]

Launch history
Status	In development
Launch sites	Alcântara Space Center
First flight	NET June 2025 (fully operational) ^[2]

First stage – S-50
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	450 kN (100,000 lb_f)^[2]
Specific impulse	~277 s (2.72 km/s)
Burn time	82 seconds^[2]
Propellant	Solid
Second stage – S-50
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	450 kN (100,000 lb_f)^[2]
Specific impulse	~277 s (2.72 km/s)
Burn time	82 seconds^[2]
Propellant	Solid
Third stage – S-44
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	33.24 kN (7,470 lb_f)
Specific impulse	282 s (2.77 km/s)
Burn time	68 seconds
Propellant	Solid

[edit on Wikidata]

The VLM (Veículo Lançador de Microsatélites) is a proposed three-stage satellite launcher being developed by the Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology in collaboration with Germany. The project originated in 2008 as a simplified version of the VLS-1 rocket, using only the core stages. The first launch is currently planned for no earlier than 2023.^[3]

A version based on the S-50 rocket engine is being developed, with the objective of launching satellites of up to 150 kg into equatorial circular orbits at 300 km altitude.^[4]

VLM-1 description

The VLM-1 vehicle is designed to deliver up to 150 kg (330 lb) to a 300 km equatorial circular orbit.^[1] VLM-1 is projected to have a total mass of 28,000 kg (62,000 lb), including 10 tons of propellant.^[4] The first two stages will use the S-50 solid fuel engine, with the third using the same S-44 engine as in the VS-40 sounding rocket.^[5]

Stage 1: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 2: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 3: S-44 rocket engine

Launches will be from the Alcântara Launch Center, located at the equator. There are plans to expand this design into the VLX launcher family, by adding liquid fuel upper stages or strap-on boosters.

Development history

Development on VLM started in 2008 for the purpose of low-cost and reliable launch of microsatellites, based on existing Brazilian sounding rockets like the VS-40 and technology developed for the VLS-1 project.^[1]

Initially, a four-stage rocket using solid fuel was proposed, arranged in the following order:

Stage 1: S-43 rocket engine
Stage 2: S-40TM rocket engine
Stage 3: S-44 rocket engine
Stage 4: S-33 rocket engine

VS-50

Main article: VS-50

In 2011 it was decided to build a precursor single-stage rocket bearing a new engine called S-50. The vehicle is being developed and its engine tested in collaboration with the German Space Agency (DLR).^[1]^[6] This precursor test is called VS-50 and is planned for launch in August 2023.^[2] The VS-50 vehicle measures 12 m (39 ft) long, 1.46 m (4 ft 9 in) in diameter, and has a mass of about 15 tons.^[1] All launches are planned to take place from the Alcântara Launch Center, located on Brazil's northern Atlantic coast.

On 1 October 2021, the Brazilian Space Agency successfully conducted the first full static fire test of the S-50 engine, lasting 84 seconds.^[3]^[7]^[8]^[9]

VLX family

When the VLM design and tests are completed to satisfaction, it is planned to develop a larger rocket family called VLX, targeting the delivery of payloads of between 300 and 500 kg to low Earth orbit.^[1] The VLX family will include two launchers named Aquila 1 (for delivery of 300 kg to 500 km) and Aquila 2 (for delivery of 500 kg to 700 km into a polar orbit).^[1] An early concept calls for two lateral S-50 engines configured as strap-on boosters.^[1] A new liquid fuel engine, called L-75, is being designed for this launcher family.^[1] As of 2018, it was hoped that the maiden flight of Aquila 1 would take place in 2023, and that of Aquila 2 in 2026.^[1]

Planned versions

In the future, the L5 liquid fuel rocket engine will replace the solid 3rd stage engine. The configuration will be:

Stage 1: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 2: S-50 rocket engine
Stage 3: L5 rocket engine (to be developed)

Other possibilities

Brazilian researchers have studied the possibility of a cost-competitive launch system using S-50 engines in the first two stages and a set of liquid engines in the third stage. This system operating from the Alcântara Launch Center could insert satellites weighing up to 500 kg into polar orbits with a transport cost of approximately US$39,000 per kilogram of payload.^[10]

Proposed flights

The qualification flight is VLM-1 (or XVT-00).^[11]

#	Vehicle	Payload	Date	Launch site
1	VLM-1 (XVT-00)	Qualification	NET 2023^[3]	Alcântara VLS
2	VLM V-01	SHEFEX III	202x^[11]	Alcântara VLS

References

External links

Brazilian space program

Science and technology in Brazil

Satellites

Programs	SCD CBERS SGDC Amazônia
In development	ASTER Flora Hiperspectral SABIA-Mar SARA LATTES GEOMET

Sounding
rockets

Active	Sonda VS-30 VSB-30 VS-40 Fogtrein
Canceled	VS-15

Launch
vehicles

In development	VLM VS-50
Canceled	VLS-1 ("Cruzeiro do Sul" launcher family) Tsyklon-4 (collaboration with Ukraine)

Launch sites

Organisation

Missions

International programs

Artemis Space Program (collaboration with the United States and 10 other countries)

Orbital launch systems

Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara 1.2 A5 Atlas V Ceres 1 1S Chollima-1 Delta IV Heavy Electron Epsilon Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Gravity-1 GSLV H-IIA H3^† Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 3 Kaituozhe 2 Kinetica-1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 6A 7 7A 8 11 11H LVM3 Minotaur I IV V C Nuri OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qaem 100 Qased RS1^† Shavit 2 Simorgh^† SLS Block 1 Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v SSLV Starship^† Tianlong-2 Unha Vega original C Vulcan Centaur Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 2
In development	Antares 330 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Qaem-100 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able^† Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV Diamant Dnepr Energia Europa I^† II^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan^† Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Rocket 3 Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG Zhuque 1^†
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)