Brazil launched a research rocket set to return to Earth by parachute after its flight, TV BRICS reported Friday.

The VS-30 V16 rocket launched on September 15, 2026, from the Brazilian “Barreira do Inferno” spaceport in Parnamirim.

On board is a suborbital microgravity platform, designed to conduct scientific experiments in near-weightless conditions.

The rocket is expected to reach an altitude of over 100km.

During the flight, the platform will 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 comes from its design: small weights spin on cables or ropes, changing the system’s moment of inertia and helping reduce the rocket’s rotational speed.

(TV BRICS/NAN)