Avibras closes the year 2016 with an important milestone in the history of the Brazilian Aerospace sector, restating and strengthening its outstanding position in this field as one of the pioneering companies in programs of space research.

On December 22th, the Brazilian Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE) hosted the contract signing ceremony for the manufacture of S50 engines belonging to the VLM-1 and the VS-50 projects, which represent a special moment in the development of the Microsatellites Launching Vehicles.

The event was attended by the president of Avibras João Brasil Carvalho Leite, the Brazil and the Americas and Institutional Relations Vice President José de Sá Carvalho Júnior as well as other representatives of the company, the Director-general of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA), the Air Lieutenant-Brigadier Antonio Carlos Egito do Amaral, the IAE Director Engineer Brigadier Augusto Luiz de Castro Otero and the Projects Director of the Foundation for Science, Technology, and Space Applications (FUNCATE) Dr. Donizeti Andrade.

This contract marks the end of an extensive work started in September 2015 with the creation of the Terms of Reference No. 024/2015, in which the IAE requested to the FUNCATE the elaboration of the Offer Request for the delivery of eight S50 engines, necessary for the all stages of the VS-50 and the VLM-1 projects, until the first flight of each project prototype.

After more than one year of managerial, technical, and commercial analysis, period when the professionals of AIE and GAC-EMBRAER furthered the discussions in these three areas, they reached the Final Offer – Revision C, of November 2016, from the only provider, the Avibras Air and Marine Division S.A.

Throughout the following twenty-six months, the company must manufacture the project of the S50 engine and produce six engines together with their accessories, followed by AFI and IFI (Industrial Fostering and Coordination Institute) technicians for the best development of the contract regarding the technical and quality points of view, and the FUNCATE for the managerial, financial, and administrative points of view. The two remaining engines will be matter of the Amendment of the Contract, after revision, submission, and approval of the Amendment of the Agreement 001/2015, between the IAE and the FUNCATE, for the development of the VLM-1.