Brazilian Satellite Launch Rocket Explodes, Killing 16

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, August 23, 2003

Brazilian Satellite Launch Rocket Explodes, Killing 16

Sixteen people were killed Friday when a Brazilian satellite launch rocket exploded at the Alcantara Launch Center in northeast Brazil, according to Brazilian Defense Ministry.

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At least 16 people were killed and about 20 others injured in a Brazilian rocket explosion on Friday when it was undergoing pre-launch tests in the Brazilian state of Maranhao.

The 2.2-million-US-dollar VLS-3 rocket was due to take two satellites into space next Monday from the Alcantara Space Center in the northeastern state.

The rocket exploded probably due to "a failure in the ignition process" at around 1:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT), and initial information showed at least 16 people died in the accident, Defense Minister Jose Viegas told reporters.

The blast at the remote base in northeastern Brazil killed mostly civilian technicians and destroyed two research satellites, Viegas said. Some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, he added.

"The launch pad collapsed and the technicians were working there, so everything indicates they died," Viegas said. "There is no hope that there are survivors."

But in a conflicting report, a spokesman at the space center said at least 19 people had been killed and another 20 people seriously wounded in the explosion, which sent a huge plume of smoke into the air above the tropical headland jutting into the Atlantic Ocean where the Alcantara launch base is situated.

"Nineteen people died and there are about 20 seriously wounded," said Raimundo de Souza, a public security spokesman for the state of Maranhao.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Ricardo Olanda said more bodies had been recovered and the deaths had risen to 21.

The air force said in a statement that there was no damage outside the launching area.

The VLS rocket was the third prototype in a series, a spokesman with the Brazilian Space Agency said. He said the 50-ton, 19-metervehicle was one of the most simple of its type, with an orbital range of 1,000 km and could carry up to 40 tons of fuel.

This was Brazil's third attempt to send a satellite into space using its own rocket.

A rocket launched in November 1997 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after experiencing engine problems soon after the lift-off.

In December 1999, another Brazilian rocket developed problems and failed three minutes after the lift-off. Officials destroyed the rocket by remote control.

Brazil, expecting to become the ninth country in the world to send a satellite into orbit with its own rocket, has operated a scientific space program since the early 1970s and sent its first satellite into space in 1993 on board a US Pegasus rocket. The country's space program centers on gravity research, meteorology, telecommunications and environmental research.

Presidential spokesman Andre Singer said Brazil was committed to continuing with its space program.

"Brazil's space program is an important scientific and technological project of our country. Today is a day of mourning," Singer said.

Alcantara is considered a near-ideal launch site because of its location, just 2.3 degrees south of the equator. The Earth's rotation is faster at the equator, which helps propel rockets into space with less fuel and with heavier payloads.

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