Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara

Alcântara Launch Center Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara
Location of the Alcântara Launch Center
IATA: none ICAO: SNCW
Summary
Airport type	Military: Air Force Base and Spaceport
Operator	Brazilian Air Force Brazilian Space Agency
Location	Alcântara, Maranhão, Brazil
Built	1982
In use	1989 - present
Elevation AMSL	148 ft / 45 m
Coordinates	2°22′23″S 44°23′47″W / 2.37306°S 44.39639°W / -2.37306; -44.39639Coordinates: 2°22′23″S 44°23′47″W / 2.37306°S 44.39639°W / -2.37306; -44.39639
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 2,600 8,530 Asphalt
Sources: CLA Airport Info

The Alcântara Launch Center (Portuguese: Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara (CLA)) is a satellite launching base of the Brazilian Space Agency in the city of Alcântara, located on Brazil's northern Atlantic coast, in the state of Maranhão. It is operated by the Brazilian Air Force (Comando da Aeronáutica). The CLA is the closest launching base to the equator. This gives the launch site a significant advantage in launching geosynchronous satellites, an attribute shared by the Guiana Space Centre.

Construction of the base began in 1982. The first launch occurred on February 21, 1990, when the sounding rocket Sonda 2 XV-53 was launched.

So far, only sounding rockets and VLS rockets have been launched from Alcântara. On August 22, 2003, the explosion of the third VLS-1 (XV-03) killed 21 people.

There are also plans to launch several international rockets from Alcântara. In 2003 contracts were signed to launch Ukrainian Tsyklon-4 (as of December 2009 planned to be launched by the end of 2010) and Israeli Shavit rockets; In addition there are further plans to launch the Russian Proton rocket.

The Alcântara launch pads include: