Drone Rules for Alcantara Launch Center
The airspace over and surrounding the Alcântara Launch Center (CLA) (Alcântara, MA) is classified as a strictly restricted National Spaceport and Aerospace Defense Zone. Civilian drone flights are completely banned within this perimeter to protect satellite launch infrastructure.
The Alcântara Launch Center, operated by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), is Brazil's primary satellite and rocket launch facility. Located near the equator in the state of Maranhão, this strategic installation features operational launch pads, integration hangars, liquid and solid fuel storage areas, and advanced radar and telemetry tracking stations used to monitor aerospace vehicles during liftoff and flight.
Operating an unauthorized civilian drone near a spaceport introduces extreme security, espionage, and safety hazards. Drones can cause dangerous radio frequency interference with the highly precise command-and-control frequencies used for rocket staging, rocket guidance, and satellite communications. Additionally, unauthorized aerial recording of classified aerospace technology or launch site setups presents a major national security risk. Under DECEA instruction ICA 100-40, this coastal aerospace sector is a permanent military restricted area. The base utilizes active monitoring and electronic jamming systems; any civilian drone entering the zone will be instantly neutralized, and the operator will face immediate federal detention and prosecution.