Security and Defense of the Alcântara Launch Center: Insights from Strategic Corporate Security

69 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 Security and Defense of the Alcântara Launch Center: Insights from Strategic Corporate Security 1 Segurança e Defesa do Centro de Lançamento de Alcantara: Insights da Segurança Corporativa Estratégica Raimundo Felipe da Silva Costa Master in Airspace Sciences (Universidade da Força Aérea). Officer of the Conscript Officers’ Corps, Security and Defense Specialty, Brazilian Air Force. [email protected]m. ORCID https://orcid.org/00090008-0839-6800 Luciano Vaz-Ferreira Ph.D. in International Strategic Studies (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul). Professor at Universidade da Força Aérea and Universidade Federal de Pelotas. [email protected]. ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7174-4109 1 Recebido para Publicação xx/xx/xxxx. Aprovado para Publicação em xx/xx/xxxx. DOI https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18009408 70 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 Abstract The development of Brazil’s space sector is essential for technological autonomy and the consolidation of national sovereignty. The Alcântara Launch Center (CLA) stands out as a strategic infrastructure, integrating civil and military functions while requiring high standards of security and defense. Its geostrategic location offers competitive advantages while also presenting protection challenges. This exploratory research, based on literature review and documentary analysis, draws on Strategic Corporate Security (MANDARINI, 2005) to propose guidelines that integrate critical asset management, risk mitigation, and operational continuity, promoting a sustainable model of security and defense for the CLA. Keywords: Space Industry, Alcântara Launch Center, Brazil, Strategic Corporate Security. Resumo O desenvolvimento do setor espacial brasileiro é fundamental para a autonomia tecnológica e soberania nacional. O Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara (CLA) destaca-se como infraestrutura estratégica, integrando funções civis e militares e demandando altos padrões de segurança e defesa. Sua posição geoestratégica proporciona vantagens competitivas, mas impõe desafios de proteção. Esta pesquisa, exploratória, na forma de uma revisão de literatura e análise documental, fundamenta-se na Segurança Corporativa Estratégica (MANDARINI, 2005) para propor diretrizes que integrem gestão de ativos críticos, mitigação de riscos e continuidade operacional, consolidando um modelo sustentável de segurança e defesa do CLA. Palavras-chave: Indústria Espacial, Centro Espacial de Alcântara, Brasil, Segurança Corporativa Estratégica. 71 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 Introduction he development of Brazil’s space sector constitutes a central element in the country’s pursuit of technological autonomy and the strengthening of national sovereignty. This trajectory extends beyond scientific research, encompassing the creation and operation of infrastructures capable of supporting complex space programs, ensuring control over strategic technologies, and consolidating Brazil’s presence in the international launch market. Alcântara Launch Center (“Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara” CLA) stands out as a key institution within Brazilian space policy. Its operations integrate civil and military dimensions, ensuring the execution of space programs with high standards of efficiency and security. Established in 1983 and subordinated to the Brazilian Air Force Command, the CLA has become the country’s main launch facility, simultaneously performing military and commercial functions, which demands stringent criteria for reliability, governance, and protection. The CLA’s geostrategic position near the Equator provides significant competitive advantages, while also presenting complex security and defense challenges due to the sensitivity of its operations and international partnerships. The management of these activities requires a security system capable of balancing sovereignty, confidentiality, and cooperation, in compliance with national regulations and strategic agreements, such as the Technology Safeguards Agreement (“Acordo de Salvaguardas Tecnológicas” – AST) with the United States. To analyze this reality, the research adopts an exploratory approach based on literature review and documentary analysis, with an emphasis on the norms and directives of the Brazilian Air Force that govern security and defense within its military organizations. The theoretical framework relies on the Strategic Corporate Security model proposed by Mandarini (2005), which views security as a systemic and strategic component of organizational management, oriented toward the protection of critical assets, risk mitigation, and operational continuity. This perspective enables the development of an analytical framework capable of integrating the various aspects of CLA security in a cohesive manner, adaptable to the particularities of the space environment. The research is organized into three chapters. The first presents the institutional and historical context of the CLA. The second discusses the principles of Strategic Corporate Security and their application to the facility. The third proposes guidelines and measures to enhance security and defense, providing a foundation for the consolidation of a sustainable and strategic model for protecting Brazilian space operations. The Alcântara Lanch Center The consolidation of autonomy and national sovereignty in the Brazilian space sector has progressed through the strengthening of strategic infrastructures dedicated to the research, development, and operation of space systems. These systems, organized across the orbital, terrestrial, and link segments (USSF, 2020), enable a wide range of activities in the space environment. In this context, the Alcântara Launch T 72 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 Center (CLA) serves as the primary terrestrial infrastructure of the Brazilian space system, functioning as a central hub for the country’s scientific, technological, and operational development in the space domain. The CLA, established by Decree No. 88,136 on March 1, 1983, is a military organization under the Brazilian Air Force Command. Its mission encompasses the execution and support of aerospace vehicle launches and tracking, as well as conducting tests and experiments of national defense interest. Its creation was directly linked to the Brazilian Complete Space Mission, conceived in 1980, and to the need to overcome operational limitations of the Barreira do Inferno Launch Center in Natal, Brazil, whose urban surroundings constrained operations. Since its inception, the CLA has become the country’s principal launch center, having conducted over five hundred operations and received investments exceeding R$ 1.3 billion from the Brazilian Space Agency (“Agência Espacial Brasileira” – AEB) and the Brazilian Air Force Command. Despite these advances, Brazil continues to pursue full autonomy in orbital launches, maintaining the CLA as a strategically significant facility under continuous development (UFMA, 2020). Future plans include expanding its capabilities as a Space Center to establish it as a regional and international reference in commercial launches (BRASIL, 2022). The CLA’s geostrategic value for Brazil and the international space community is heightened by its privileged location on the Maranhão coast, just 2°18” south of the Equator, which enables propellant savings and allows for the launch of larger payloads or less powerful vehicles (CHOAIRY, 2000; UFMA, 2020; BRASIL, 2022). The site offers a broad range of launch azimuths, initial trajectories over the ocean for enhanced safety, low air traffic density, stable climate, geological stability, low population density, and proximity to the capital, São Luís, facilitating logistics and reducing associated risks and costs. These characteristics make the CLA suitable for various orbital launches, including polar, inclined, and equatorial, consolidating its operational, scientific, and economic relevance. The CLA’s infrastructure is complex and organized into interdependent functional sectors that support every stage of the launch cycle, from preparation to tracking, each with distinct roles and high safety standards. The Preparation and Launch Sector manages the final assembly, integration, and launch of space vehicles, playing a crucial role in mission execution and point-zero operational safety. The Command and Control Sector supervises operations in real time, serving as the operational core that ensures flight safety and success. The Payload Preparation Building hosts testing, integration, and verification of satellites and other payloads, protecting strategic assets and ensuring confidentiality. The airport facilitates the arrival of large payloads and teams, serving as a key logistical hub and supporting the expansion of the center’s operational capabilities. Additionally, the CLA maintains administrative and residential facilities in São Luís, a Redundant Telemetry Station in Raposa, and a remote base for launch operations and payload recovery on Ilha de Santana (BRASIL, 2022; BRASIL, 2016). The CLA has intensified its operational pace, reinforcing its strategic importance and the need for rigorous security standards. In 2020, Brazil signed the Technology Safeguards Agreement (AST) with the United States, which establishes technical norms and procedures to protect U.S. technologies used in launches from the center. The agreement safeguards against unauthorized access to or replication of rockets, satellites, and components, preserving critical U.S. technology (BRASIL, 2019). Given that a significant proportion of global space launches incorporates U.S.-origin components, the AST represents a milestone for the CLA’s integration into the international commercial launch market, enhancing its credibility 73 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 and operational reliability while expanding opportunities for cooperation and investment, all while maintaining Brazilian control and jurisdiction over its territory and operations (ANDRADE et al., 2018). On March 19, 2023, the South Korean HANBIT-TLV rocket, developed by Innospace, was successfully launched during Operation Astrolábio using Brazilian technology from the inertial navigation system. This marked the first launch by a foreign private company from Alcântara and demonstrated the CLA’s capacity to conduct national and international launches with precision. Future orbital launches are scheduled for 2025, carrying cubesats such as Golds-UFSC and Conasat-1 (BRASIL, 2023). As the primary terrestrial infrastructure of the Brazilian space program, any compromise to the CLA’s security would have profound repercussions for national space operations. Such an incident would carry serious strategic consequences, as the center ensures access to space, and it would also incur substantial economic losses, given the high value of its equipment and facilities, technological investments, and Brazil’s role in the global space launch market (DURÃO; CEBALLOS, 2011). The ongoing internationalization of its activities further elevates security risks, highlighting the imperative of upholding rigorous operational standards in line with the AST and future international agreements. This exposure to risk was tragically underscored on August 22, 2003, when the Brazilian Space Program suffered its most severe setback: the VLS-1 V03 Satellite Launch Vehicle exploded on the launch pad, resulting in the deaths of 21 technicians and engineers. The accident, which occurred three days before the scheduled launch, was attributed to premature activation of the first-stage engine, possibly caused by the early triggering of a detonator in the ignition system. The incident revealed significant vulnerabilities in the CLA’s risk and safety management, prompting a comprehensive review of operational protocols (BRASIL, 2004). The CLA is officially recognized as a national critical infrastructure under Decree No. 9,573/2018, which defines critical facilities and systems as those whose disruption could have severe impacts on national security (BRASIL, 2018). Protecting these infrastructures is essential for the country’s defense and sovereignty due to their strategic significance (BRASIL, 2012). As part of the Brazilian Armed Forces’ military structure, under the Brazilian Air Force and Air Force Command, the CLA is subject to regulations governing the security and defense of military installations. According to the Air Force Command Directive on Security and Defense (DCA 205-4/2020), security is considered a necessity and an inalienable right, while defense comprises the actions required to ensure and protect these conditions. In this framework, security and defense involve coordinated measures designed to preserve the Brazilian Air Force’s combat power, safeguarding installations, equipment, and personnel in line with the specific mission of each military organization (BRASIL, 2020). From an organizational standpoint, the Brazilian Air Force Command oversees the Security and Defense System (“Sistema de Segurança e Defesa” – SISDE), established by Norm NSCA 205-3/2021, with the purpose of standardizing the planning and implementation of security and defense measures across its military organizations (BRASIL, 2021). The system is led by the Readiness Command (“Comando de Preparo” – COMPREP), headquartered in Brasília, which is responsible for developing doctrines, conducting strategic planning, coordinating operations, and overseeing training and performance evaluation. Operational implementation is carried out by the Security and Defense Units within each military organization, composed of Air Force Infantry contingents responsible for the physical protection of facilities, access control, 74 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 patrolling, surveillance, and incident response. At the CLA, these functions are performed by the Alcântara Security and Defense Group (GSD-AK). Brazilian Air Force regulations establish the required infrastructure and measures to ensure security and defense, including perimeter barriers, control posts, electronic surveillance systems, vehicles, remotely piloted aircraft, and specialized personnel tasked with monitoring critical assets, supported by rapidresponse teams with high mobility and operational readiness. Recently, the Integrated Security Support System for Facilities (“Sistema de Suporte Integrado de Segurança das Instalações” – SISI), established under Directive DCA 205-9, was implemented. SISI integrates the security infrastructure of facilities with electronic security resources, including surveillance, access control, and intrusion detection, through an efficient command, control, and intelligence system. It links these capabilities to rapid-response teams equipped with ballistic protection, high mobility, and the capacity to apply force in a progressive and proportional manner (BRASIL, 2025). The Brazilian Air Force has achieved notable progress in standardizing the security and defense of its military organizations, establishing clear guidelines to safeguard personnel, facilities, and strategic assets. Nevertheless, the CLA’s unique operational profile poses distinct challenges, necessitating tailored approaches to address technological, operational, and strategic risks that differ from those faced by conventional military organizations. The CLA is distinguished by its dual function: besides its strategic role for the Brazilian Air Force, it operates as a center for economic and commercial activities, maintaining close relations with private and international partners. This configuration necessitates security measures beyond the protection of military assets, encompassing the safeguarding of sensitive technologies and industrial secrets of partners, often in compliance with international standards. In this context, adopting strategic corporate security practices emerges as an effective solution, integrating multiple levels of protection to ensure both institutional security and the viability and resilience of the CLA’s commercial and space operations. Applying the principles of strategic corporate security to the Alcântara Launch Center In the Brazilian context, a distinction is made between public security, responsible for the repression and investigation of crimes, a function predominantly attributed to police authorities, and non-public security, which is administered by the stakeholders themselves and subdivided into private security, focused on the protection of individuals, and corporate security, directed toward the protection of organizations (MANDARINI, 2005). As part of Brazil’s public administration and as a military organization under the Brazilian Air Force, the CLA holds police authority and prerogatives to adopt measures aimed at preserving internal order and discipline, as well as competencies to investigate and prosecute military crimes occurring within its premises (MODESTO; NEVES, 2025; ASSIS, 2020). Simultaneously, it is responsible for protecting its facilities against internal and external threats, not necessarily relying on the direct intervention of public security agencies. Given these institutional particularities, it becomes relevant to analyze the incorporation of innovative corporate security principles and practices from a strategic perspective, without this constituting a private-sector approach. In this regard, the concept of corporate security has expanded to include organizational or institutional security, also applied to public entities in Brazil, aligning with initiatives 75 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 developed by bodies such as the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (CONSELHO NACIONAL DO MINISTÉRIO PÚBLICO, 2019; CONSELHO DA JUSTIÇA FEDERAL, 2021). Corporate security encompasses the protection of all organizational assets, whether human or material, tangible or intangible. Tangible assets include facilities, machinery, equipment, products, documents, information systems, and movable or immovable property, as well as financial resources such as funding, shares, and investments. Intangible assets cover social and institutional capital, including human resources, the environment, organizational image, secrets, planning, strategies, data, and knowledge, as well as commercial capital, which comprises know-how, processes, logistics, markets, brands, suppliers, clients, credibility, trust, and reputation (MANDARINI, 2005). In the case of the CLA, the scope of protected assets extends beyond financial resources to encompass strategic, sovereignty-related, and national security dimensions. Strategic Corporate Security represents the most advanced stage in the evolution of organizational security, surpassing the traditional loss-prevention function to assume a central role in competitiveness and value creation. This model focuses on protecting productive activities and services, based on integrated planning, coordinated actions, and training programs aimed at strengthening the security culture (MANDARINI, 2005). Organic security, in turn, constitutes one of the pillars of strategic corporate security and is defined as an integrated set of defensive and preventive measures designed to protect institutional assets and ensure the safe operation of activities (ASSUMPÇÃO; COSTA, 2019). For the CLA, a Strategic Corporate Security model can be structured around four interdependent segments: area and facility management security, personnel management security, process management security, and knowledge management security. Area and facility management security can be defined as the set of standards, measures, and procedures designed to protect institutional facilities, particularly those housing classified information or sensitive materials, and must align with the identified risks (CARON; BUENO, 2019). Its objective is to safeguard the organization’s tangible assets, preventing unauthorized access, damage, or interference, based on comprehensive risk assessments. Security entails access controls and differentiates measures according to the criticality of each area, aiming to protect people, assets, and processes while also considering potential impacts on the environment and society (MANDARINI, 2005). Areas are classified according to their nature and sensitivity. Open areas are accessible to the general public, such as reception halls; restricted areas require access control, such as offices and meeting rooms; critical areas host essential infrastructures, such as servers, generators, and control rooms; and classified areas contain sensitive materials, documents, or information, with access restricted to specific credentials. Priority is given to mitigating human-origin threats to physical assets, such as sabotage, theft, or negligence, while also accounting for natural and unpredictable events (CARON; BUENO, 2019). Mandarini (2005) proposes the Theory of Concentric Circles, which organizes protection into layers that become progressively more restrictive as they approach the most sensitive core. The model defines five levels, each specifying the type of area, authorized personnel, and credentialing requirements. This layered structure establishes a depth-based defense aligned with the criticality of the facilities. Area and facility security relies on passive security actions characterized by a primarily defensive posture against potential or actual threats. Its effectiveness depends on the integration of four essential components: human surveillance services; physical security, which provides structural and artificial barriers; 76 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 electronic security, based on detection and monitoring technologies; and access control systems, which regulate the circulation of people and assets. In critical areas, multi-factor authentication is recommended. The synergy among these elements is decisive for consolidating a robust, layered protection system (MANDARINI, 2005; CARON; BUENO, 2019). At the CLA, Mandarini’s Theory of Concentric Circles can be applied considering the high criticality of technological handling areas and launch platforms. Security criteria and physical, electronic, and procedural barriers must be scaled to neutralize threats and protect high-value strategic and technological assets, including those subject to international safeguards such as the AST. Given the nature of the CLA’s operations, which involve high-value technologies, it is essential to adopt a preventive approach, reflected in substantial investments in physical, electronic, cyber, and personnel security. Risk management is also indispensable, either through insurance for payloads and commercial launches or by acknowledging that certain risks, such as catastrophic failures or extreme natural events, cannot be fully eliminated. Risk management at the CLA involves continuous cost-benefit analysis to support strategic decisions and ensure operational continuity without compromising economic feasibility or international commitments. The integration of systems through a Security Operations Center allows the consolidation of information from sensors, cameras, access controls, intelligence, human surveillance, and cybersecurity, ensuring situational awareness and rapid response capability. Furthermore, the CLA’s isolated location in Alcântara necessitates cooperation with agencies such as the police, the Brazilian Navy, and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency, enabling the Brazilian Air Force to act in a coordinated manner that balances discretion with deterrent strength. Personnel management security aims to mitigate risks associated with human resources throughout their functional lifecycle. It seeks to ensure the physical and moral integrity of personnel, recognizing that the human factor represents both the main asset and the greatest vulnerability of institutional security. This process encompasses recruitment, background checks, credentialing, monitoring, and dismissal, thereby preventing insider threats such as information leaks, sabotage, or coercion, an especially relevant aspect for strategic organizations like the CLA (BANDEIRA, 2019; CARON; BUENO, 2019; MENEZES et al., 2022). At the CLA, which brings together military personnel, civilian employees, contractors, and representatives of partner nations, secure personnel management is essential. The diversity of these actors increases potential vulnerabilities, demanding rigorous control and verification procedures to prevent fraud, theft, and information leakage. Recruitment, investigation, and credentialing must follow the Brazilian Air Force’s intelligence guidelines, ensuring personnel reliability and the protection of sensitive operations and technologies. Moreover, clear protocols for registration, movement planning, definition of access zones, and continuous monitoring are fundamental to reducing risks and strengthening organizational security. Process management security aims to protect the dynamics of institutional activities, covering all procedures and actions that lead to the delivery of the final product or service, including operations, planning, and input management (MENEZES et al., 2022). Operational security seeks to protect an institution’s essential activities, particularly those considered sensitive, due to their impact on functional continuity, and hazardous, due to associated physical risks (MANDARINI, 2005). At the CLA, the stages of preparation, integration, and launch of aerospace vehicles exhibit both characteristics, demanding maximum vigilance. Considering the high technological value and 77 Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 www.revistaintellectori.org.br Ano XXI | Volume XXII | Nº 44 | Julho/Dezembro 2025 | Rio de Janeiro | ISSN 1807-1260 risks associated with propellants and pyrotechnic systems, failures may lead to significant losses and jeopardize the institution’s security, defense, and strategic objectives. Planning security operates from the very conception of institutional activities, ensuring that the development and execution of plans occur under strict confidentiality and compartmentalization criteria (MANDARINI, 2005). At the CLA, this is particularly critical, as launch campaign planning and security plans involve highly sensitive information. It is necessary to control information access across teams, national entities such as the Brazilian Air Force, the Brazilian Space Agency, and the National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE), and international partners, thus preventing leaks that could compromise missions and strategic agreements. Input security extends corporate protection to all items used in production and service delivery, focusing particularly on those that are sensitive due to their value, business significance, or physical hazards. Each item’s criticality must be assessed, taking into account both the risks to which it is exposed, such as theft or sabotage, and the risks it may pose, such as flammability or toxicity (MANDARINI, 2005). At the CLA, this dimension is reflected in the secure receiving, storage, and handling of materials, including propellants and aerospace technologies, and in its integration with area and facility security to safeguard warehouses and depots. Input security also encompasses the logistical planning of material transport, including safety analysis, route definition, tracking, support points, armed escorts, driver registration, and contingency planning. CLA operations require secure transportation of rocket and satellite components, proper storage of propellants, and protection of sensitive technologies, as well as strict oversight in the acquisition and disposal of materials. Knowledge management security aims to protect the organization’s secrets, considered strategic assets and sources of competitive advantage. It is directly linked to the physical security of information and to digital and cyber protection (MANDARINI, 2005). The CLA’s space operations involve large volumes of sensitive knowledge, including technical data on rockets and satellites, strategic mission information, and technologies protected under the AST. The rigorous application of knowledge management security through information classification, access control, cyber protection, and physical and communications security is essential to ensuring operational integrity. Any failure in this domain may compromise missions, national security, and Brazil’s international credibility. Proposals for enhancing the security and defense of the Alcântara Launch Center Considering the distinctive characteristics of the CLA and the application of Strategic Corporate Security principles, this proposal aims to strengthen its protection and defense capabilities. The first step involves establishing a robust organizational security culture, ensuring that all participants in space operations, whether civilian or military, domestic or international, fully understand the components that constitute the CLA’s security and defense framework. Currently, technical personnel, new members, and partners of the Center are required to complete the Launch Operations Preparation Course (“Curso de Preparação para Operações de Lançamento” - CPOL), which is divided into theoretical and practical modules. However, the course content is primarily focused on technical and operational aspects and does not adequately address security and defense dimensions.