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14-XS was an Operação Cruzeiro mission conducted by the Brazilian Air Force at the Alcantara Launch Center on December 14, 2021.[2]
| Mission type | Sub-orbital spaceflight Technological demonstrator |
|---|---|
| Operator | Brazilian Air Force |
| Range | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Apogee | 160 km (99 mi) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | 14-X (scramjet engine) |
| Manufacturer | Orbital Engenharia |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 14 December 2021 |
| Rocket | VSB-30 V32[1] |
| Launch site | Alcântara Space Center |
| Contractor | Brazilian Air Force |
| End of mission | |
| Destroyed | Ocean Atlantic |
| Landing date | 14 December 2021 |
| |
The flight was a test to demonstrate scramjet technology. The device was launched by a Hypersonic Accelerator Vehicle (based on the VSB-30 rocket[3]) and accelerated to Mach 6 to an altitude of 30 kilometers, from where it continued until it reached a suborbital apogee at an altitude of 160 kilometers and 200 kilometers down range from the launch site, impacting at the Atlantic Ocean.[2] The model tested combustion in a hypersonic environment and Mach 6 speed was reached at 50 km.[3]
Both the Alcântara Launch Center and the Barreira do Inferno Launch Center acted as tracking stations.[2] The vehicle was the first with a scramjet engine built in Brazil and reached up to 5,000 hp.[3] The vehicle was built by Orbital Engenharia.[1]
Both the rocket and the 14-X were built in São José dos Campos.[4] The engine has been under development since 2008, with the goal of enabling the Brazilian industry to develop aerospace experiments.[5]
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