Topaze (rocket)
Topaze is the designation of a French sounding rocket. The Topaze was developed by several French companies, notably Nord Aviation and Sud Aviation,[1] and built by SEREB (a joint venture of Nord and Sud, now known as AĆ©rospatiale) and was the first guidable French sounding rocket. The Topaze was launched 14 times from the CIEES launch site in Hammaguir, Algeria, by ONERA.[2]
There were two versions of the Topaze:[2]
- Topaze VE111C
- There were six launches between 19 December 1962 and 24 October 1963, reaching an apogee of 80 km (49 mi).[3]
- Topaze VE111L
- payload mass: 360 kg (840 lb)
- total mass: 3434 kg (7570 lb)
- length: 7.90 m (25.9 ft)
- range: 110 km (68 mi)
- liftoff thrust 147.0 kN
- This version was launched eight times between 21 December 1963 and 21 May 1965, with apogees ranging from 60 km (37 mi) to 110 km (68 mi).[3]
The Topaze was also used as the second stage of the Diamant rocket, the launch vehicle for France's first satellite, the Asterix-1, and the Saphir rocket.[3]
References
- News Digest. // Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 7, 1963, v. 78, no. 1, p. 37.
- "News Digest". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Vol. 78 no. 1. January 7, 1963. p. 37.
- Wade, Mark. "Topaze". Astronautix. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
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