Brazil launches rocket carrying scientific platform set to return to Earth by parachute
The spacecraft will ascend to an altitude of over 100 km, carry out a series of scientific experiments, and then re-enter the atmosphere before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean
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Photo source: gorodenkoff / iStock
Brazil has launched a research rocket which is set to return to Earth by parachute after its flight. This was reported by Metrópoles, a partner of TV BRICS.
The VS-30 V16 rocket was launched on 15 September 2026 from the Brazilian "Barreira do Inferno" spaceport in the city of Parnamirim. On board is a suborbital microgravity platform – a device designed to conduct scientific experiments in near-weightless conditions.
The rocket is expected to reach an altitude of over 100 km. During the flight, the platform is set to conduct a series of experiments involving biological materials, physical processes and new materials. Once the research is complete, the platform will separate from the rocket and begin its return to Earth.
Unlike a satellite, the platform will not remain in space. It will re-enter the atmosphere, deploy a parachute and is expected to splash down in the Atlantic Ocean. Afterwards, Brazilian specialists plan to recover the platform from the water and transport it back for further study.
In addition to the platform, the rocket carries experimental modules, flight control equipment and a cold gas propulsion system. To stabilise the rocket’s rotation before the platform separates, a special device known as the "yo-yo" system is used. The name derives from its design: small weights spin on cables or ropes, altering the system’s moment of inertia and thereby helping to reduce the rocket’s rotational speed.
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