Diamant
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The Diamant rocket (diamant is French for "diamond") was the first exclusively French expendable launch system and at the same time the first satellite launcher not built by either USA or USSR. As such it is the main predecessor of all subsequent European launcher projects.
It was derived from the military program Pierres précieuses (fr.: gemstones) that included the five prototypes Agathe, Topaze, Emeraude, Rubis et Saphir (Agate, Topaz, Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire). Out of 12 launch attempts between 1965 and 1975, 9 were successful. Most notably it was used to put Astérix, the first French satellite, into orbit on November 26, 1965. Despite the success France stopped its national launcher program in favor of the European Ariane launcher in 1975.
Three successive versions of the Diamant rocket were developed, designated A, B and BP4. All versions had three stages and a payload of approximately 150kg for a 200km orbit.
Diamant A
This was the first version of the Diamant rocket. It was used to launch the Astérix and subsequently three other small satellites during 1965-67 from the base at Hammaguir in Algeria. Remarkably for a newly developed system, all four attempted launched were partly successful, the only failure occurring on the second launch when the payload was inserted into a lower orbit than planned.
Diamant B
An improved version of the Diamant A with a more powerful first stage. Five satellite launches were attempted between 1970 and 1973, of which the last two failed. All launches took place from Kourou in French Guyana, which thus became established as the sole French and European spaceport, a status that it still holds today (2006).
Diamant BP4
This version incorporated a new second stage, while carrying the first and third stages over from its predecessor. It performed three successful launches in 1975, putting a total of four satellites into orbit.
Launch list
| Date | Type | Launch Site | Payload | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 26, 1965 | Diamant A | Hammaguir | Asterix | |
| February 17, 1966 | Diamant A | Hammaguir | Diapason | |
| February 8, 1967 | Diamant A | Hammaguir | Diadème 1 | partial failure, orbit too low |
| February 15, 1967 | Diamant A | Hammaguir | Diadème 2 | |
| March 10, 1970 | Diamant B | Kourou | Mika/Wika | |
| December 12, 1970 | Diamant B | Kourou | Péole | |
| April 15, 1971 | Diamant B | Kourou | Tournesol | |
| December 6, 1971 | Diamant B | Kourou | Polaire | second stage failed |
| May 21, 1972 | Diamant B | Kourou | Castor/Pollux | fairing not separated |
| February 6, 1975 | Diamant BP4 | Kourou | Starlette | |
| May 17, 1975 | Diamant BP4 | Kourou | Castor/Pollux | |
| September 27, 1975 | Diamant BP4 | Kourou | Aura |
External links
- http://www.univ-perp.fr/fuseurop/diaman_e.htm
- http://www.astronautix.com/lvfam/prestone.htm
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