Brazil has launched its first rocket into space, a feat that comes just 14 months after its space program was devastated by a deadly launch pad accident.
The VSV-30, otherwise known as the Brazilian Exploration Vehicle, lifted off Saturday from the Alcantara launch center in the northern Brazilian state of Maranhao and spent just seven minutes in microgravity, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Science and Technology.
Brazilian space officials are hoping a successful test flight of the rocket will help the nation’s space program rebound from last year’s accident in which many of Brazil’s top space scientists and personnel were killed when a rocket blew up at the Alcantara center during liftoff.
It would also help Brazil promote Alcantara as an ideal venue for future multi-national missions, as its proximity to the equator – within a couple of degrees – makes for easier launches into space.
The Earth moves faster at the equator. Vehicles therefore need less thrust to get into space, allowing them to carry more cargo in lieu of additional fuel.
