Sonda (rocket)

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 rockets family portrait

Side-by-side comparison of Sonda rockets, to scale

Sonda II, III and IV on display at Parque Santos Dumont

Sonda I

The Sonda I is a two stage rocket (S-10-1 & 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]

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  Diagram with Sonda I rocket dimensions
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  Sonda I on display
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  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]

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  Diagram with Sonda II rocket dimensions
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  Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
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  Sonda II at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
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  Sonda II on display
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  Sonda II on display
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  Sonda II at Parque Santos Dumont

Sonda III

Sonda III is a two stage rocket available in three versions, the Sonda III (S-30 & S-20 rocket stages), the Sonda III M1 (S-30 & S-23 rocket stages) and the Sonda IIIA (S-30 & S-33 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]

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  Diagram with Sonda III rocket dimensions
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  Sonda III rocket variations
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  Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
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  Sonda III at Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
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  Sonda III at Barreira do Inferno
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  Sonda III on display
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  Sonda III at Parque Santos Dumont

Sonda IV

Sonda IV is a two stage rocket (S-40 & S-43 rocket stages)^[8] 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.^[9]

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

Stages and engines

The Sonda series uses the following stages and engines:

S-10-1 rocket stage

The S-10-1 rocket stage has the following specifications:^[10][11]

• Engine: Sonda 1 Booster
• Developer: IAE
• Thrust: 27.00 kN (6,070 lbf)
• Gross mass: 30 kg (66 lb)
• Unfuelled mass: 15 kg (33 lb)
• Height: 1.50 m (4.90 ft)
• Diameter: 0.13 m (0.42 ft)
• Usage: Sonda I first stage

S-10-2 rocket stage

The S-10-2 rocket stage has the following specifications:^[12][13]

• Engine: Sonda 1
• Developer: IAE
• Gross mass: 30 kg (66 lb)
• Unfuelled mass: 14 kg (30 lb)
• Height: 2.10 m (6.80 ft)
• Diameter: 0.11 m (0.36 ft)
• Thrust: 4.20 kN (944 lbf)
• Burn time: 32 s
• Usage: Sonda I second stage

S-20 rocket stage

The S-20 rocket stage has the following specifications:^[14][15][16]

• Engine: S-20
• Developer: Avibras
• Thrust: 36.00 kN (8,093 lbf)
• Gross mass: 300 kg (660 lb)
• Unfuelled mass: 77 kg (169 lb)
• Height: 4.20 m (13.70 ft)
• Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft)
• Thrust: 36.00 kN (8,093 lbf)
• Burn time: 20 s.
• Usage: Sonda II, Sonda III second stage

S-23 rocket stage

The S-23 rocket stage has the following specifications:^[17][18]

• Engine: S-23
• Developer: Avibras
• Gross mass: 200 kg (440 lb).
• Unfuelled mass: 69 kg (152 lb).
• Height: 2.20 m (7.20 ft).
• Diameter: 0.30 m (0.98 ft).
• Thrust: 18.00 kN (4,046 lbf).
• Burn time: 20 s
• Usage: Sonda III M1 second stage

S-30 rocket stage

Main article: VS-30 § S-30_rocket_engine

The S-30 rocket stage has the following specifications:

• Usage: Sonda III series first stage, VLS fourth stage, VS-30 Orion and VSB-30 first stage

S-33 rocket stage

The S-33 rocket stage has the following specifications:

• Usage: Sonda IIIA second stage

S-40 rocket stage

Main article: S-40 rocket engine

The S-40 rocket stage has the following specifications:

• Usage: Sonda IV first stage, VS-40 and VS-40M second stage, VLS third stage

S-43 rocket stage

The S-43 rocket stage has the following specifications:^[19][20]

• Engine: S-43
• Developer: IAE
• Chamber Pressure: 56.20 bar
• Area Ratio: 12.82
• Gross mass: 8,425 kg (18,573 lb)
• Unfuelled mass: 1,245 kg (2,744 lb)
• Height: 9.00 m (29.50 ft)
• Diameter: 1.00 m (3.20 ft)
• Thrust: 303.00 kN (68,117 lbf)
• Specific impulse: 265 s
• Specific impulse sea level: 225 s
• Burn time: 59 s
• Usage: Sonda IV second stage, VLS first second stage engines