Aerospace Meteorology at the Brazilian Space Center

Date and Time
Location
112 Walker Building
The Alcantara Space Center (ASC), located at a coastal site near the Equator, is the Brazilian gate to space. From this range, the Brazilian rockets are launched (for orbital or suborbital missions) and during their launching operations, some meteorological information is needed in order to guarantee safe flights. The Aerospace Meteorology developed at Aeronautic and Space Institute (IAE) was created during the 1990s in order to develop studies and research that can supply the meteorological requirements from the P&D rocket engineering groups as well as the operational weather forecast teams involved in those launchings. In this talk, it will be shown the micrometeorological studies conducted at ASC (mainly wind research results from towers, 1 mini SODAR, use of high resolution models (CFD and LES), wind tunnel essays simulating the topography) as well some new development about use of numerical modeling (WRF /CHEM) for air quality dispersion (HCL released from the combustion of the solid propellant) for support the launchings.