14-XS was an Operação Cruzeiro mission conducted by the Brazilian Air Force at the Alcantara Launch Center on December 14, 2021.[2]

14-XS
Mission typeSub-orbital spaceflight
Technological demonstrator
OperatorBrazilian Air Force
Range200 km (120 mi)
Apogee160 km (99 mi)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft14-X (scramjet engine)
ManufacturerOrbital Engenharia
Start of mission
Launch date14 December 2021
RocketVSB-30 V32[1]
Launch siteAlcântara Space Center
ContractorBrazilian Air Force
End of mission
DestroyedOcean Atlantic
Landing date14 December 2021
14-XSP →

Mission

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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]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "O Brasil na era da Propulsão Hipersônica: Projeto 14-X" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  2. ^ a b c "FAB realiza primeiro teste de voo do motor aeronáutico hipersônico 14-X". 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  3. ^ a b c "Conheça o Projeto 14-X, de tecnologia hipersônica, desenvolvido pela FAB". 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  4. ^ "FOGUETE BRASILEIRO: Operação Cruzeiro inicia com primeiro teste do motor hipersônico 14-X, veja vídeo" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  5. ^ "FAB testa motor hipersônico para foguetes e mísseis" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2022-04-23.