The space startup BIZU Space successfully carried out the test ofthe first flight model of the ARION liquid rocket engineconsidered an important advance for Brazilian space propulsion.
The test was part of the mission “Lying in a Splendid Cradle” (DeBE)a campaign aimed at horizontal validation of the ablative version of the engine. The engine is manufactured entirely by the company itself and uses hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer and aviation kerosene as fuel.
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The test took place on the T8 test bench, the company’s own infrastructure located on the campus of the University of Vale do Paraíba, in São José dos Campos (SP).
The engine is part of the development of the liquid propulsion system of the third stage of the Brazilian Microlaunchera national project aimed at creating a .
Despite the reduced burn time during the test, the tested model already corresponds to a flight configuration designed to be embarked on a sounding vehicle.
The campaign aimed to validate technologies considered critical to the Brazilian space program, including tank systems, valves, control and integration.
New attempt to launch orbital rocket
Brazil can achieve a previously distant goal still in 2026: for the first time, launch an orbital rocket from a national launch center. Furthermore, with Brazilian equipment.
The small rocket is being built by five companies, and intends to take satellites into Earth orbit. The project is an unprecedented attempt to build the MLBR (Brazilian Microlauncher) led by the company CENIC.
During the manufacturing process of space equipment, there are numerous difficulties, one of the main ones is thinking about all the details for a successful launch. A simulation video shows what the launch should be like:
“The vehicle will have twelve tons on the ramp [de lançamento] to achieve, take a payload weighing just 40 kilos into orbit. With these small satellites you can do a lot of things nowadays. This is a billion-dollar market. Brazil is privileged in terms of launch, with a magnificent geographic base”, says Ralph Corrêa, director of Cenic Engenharia, in an interview with CNN Brasil.
The project is sponsored by FINEP (Financier of Studies and Projects), linked to MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation), in partnership with AEB (Brazilian Space Agency). At a cost of R$189 million, the MLBR rocket should be launched into space in 2026. Other companies are part of the rocket’s design: Concert, Etsys, Delsis and Plasmahub.
