🇧🇷Barreira do Inferno Launch Center
Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, Brazil
Country
🇧🇷 Brazil
Region
South America
Established
1965
Launches / Year
3-6
Coordinates
-5.9167° S, 35.1633° W
About
Barreira do Inferno Launch Center (CLBI) is Brazil's oldest rocket launch facility, located on the Atlantic coast near Natal in Rio Grande do Norte state. Established in 1965, it has served as the primary site for Brazil's suborbital sounding rocket program and atmospheric research. Its name, meaning 'Hell's Barrier,' comes from the dramatic red cliffs at the launch site.
Key Features
Brazil's oldest launch center — operational since 1965
Located on dramatic red coastal cliffs (Barreira do Inferno = Hell's Barrier)
Primary facility for Brazilian suborbital sounding rocket program
Near-equatorial location (5.9 deg S) ideal for atmospheric research
Supports international cooperative sounding rocket campaigns
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
Nike-Apache (1965) — First rocket launched from Brazilian soil
Sonda I through Sonda IV Brazilian sounding rocket development series
Hundreds of suborbital research rockets since 1965
International cooperative missions with NASA and European agencies
VS-30 and VS-40 sounding rocket test campaigns