Diamant
Encyclopedia
The Diamant rocket was the first exclusively French
expendable launch system
and at the same time the first satellite
launcher not built by either the USA or USSR. As such it is the main predecessor of all subsequent Europe
an launcher projects. It was derived from the military program Pierres précieuses (fr.: gemstones
) that included the five prototypes Agathe, Topaze
, Emeraude, Rubis
and Saphir
(Agate
, Topaz
, Emerald
, Ruby
and Sapphire
). Design of the Diamant began in 1962, as the inaugural spacecraft
project of France's space agency, the CNES
. Out of 12 launch attempts between 1965 and 1975, 9 were successful. Most notably, the Diamant was used to put the first French satellite, Astérix
, into orbit on November 26, 1965. Despite the success, France abandoned 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 150 kg for a 200 km orbit.
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. It possessed a first stage of 10 m, 1.4 meters in diameter, and a weight of 14.7 metric tons. Their engines of the type LRBA Vexin
supplied a thrust of 269 kN for 93 seconds. The second stage was 4.7 meters long and had a diameter of 80 centimeters. It weighed 2.9 metric tons and developed a thrust of 165 kN for a duration of 44 seconds. The third stage of 2.65 m in diameter. Its weight amounted to 709 kilograms. It burned for 45 seconds and developed a thrust of 27 kN to 53 kN. Completely installed, a Diamond A was 18.95 meters high and weighed 18.4 metric tons.
in French Guyana, which thus became established as the sole French and European spaceport, a status that it still holds today (2008).
Its first stage was 14.2 meters long, had a diameter of 1.4 meters and weighed 20.1 metric tons. Its engine developed a thrust of 316 kN to 400 kN (as a function of the flight altitude) for 116 seconds. The second stage the Diamond B corresponded to that the Diamond A. The third stage was 1.67 meters long and had a diameter of 80 centimeters. It developed a thrust of 24 kN for 46 seconds. Completely assembled a Diamond B was 23.5 meters high and weighed 24.6 metric tons.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
expendable launch system
Expendable launch system
An expendable launch system is a launch system that uses an expendable launch vehicle to carry a payload into space. The vehicles used in expendable launch systems are designed to be used only once , and their components are not recovered for re-use after launch...
and at the same time the first satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
launcher not built by either the USA or USSR. As such it is the main predecessor of all subsequent Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an launcher projects. It was derived from the military program Pierres précieuses (fr.: gemstones
Gemstones
Gemstones is the third solo album by Adam Green, released in 2005. The album is characterised by the heavy presence of Wurlitzer piano, whereas its predecessor relied on a string section in its instrumentation.-Track listing:#Gemstones – 2:24...
) that included the five prototypes Agathe, Topaze
Topaze
Topaze is the designation of a French sounding rocket. The Topaze was built by SEREB and was the first guidable French elevator research rocket...
, Emeraude, Rubis
Rubis
The Rubis is a French two-stage rocket. As its first stage the Rubis uses an Agate engine, and as its second stage, a P064 engine. The Rubis has a maximum altutude of 2000 kilometers, a takeoff thrust of 186 kN, a diameter of 0.80 m and a length of 9.60 m. The Rubis was launched eleven times from...
and Saphir
Saphir
Saphir is the name of a French elevator research rocket and means "sapphire" in the French language. The Saphir was used between 1965 and 1967 and had a payload capacity of 365 kilograms. The rocket could reach a maximum height of 1000 kilometers, had a takeoff thrust of 280 kilonewtons, a takeoff...
(Agate
Agate
Agate is a microcrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.-Etymology...
, Topaz
Topaz
Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO42. Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and its crystals are mostly prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces.-Color and varieties:...
, Emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
, Ruby
Ruby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
and Sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
). Design of the Diamant began in 1962, as the inaugural spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
project of France's space agency, the CNES
CNES
The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research...
. Out of 12 launch attempts between 1965 and 1975, 9 were successful. Most notably, the Diamant was used to put the first French satellite, Astérix
Astérix (satellite)
Astérix, the first French satellite, was launched on November 26, 1965 by a rocket of type Diamant A from Hammaguir in Algeria. It was originally designated A-1, as the French Army's first satellite, but later renamed after the popular French cartoon character Astérix...
, into orbit on November 26, 1965. Despite the success, France abandoned its national launcher program in favor of the European Ariane
Ariane (rocket)
Ariane is a series of a European civilian expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. The name comes from the French spelling of the mythological character Ariadne....
launcher in 1975.
Three successive versions of the Diamant rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
were developed, designated A, B and BP4. All versions had three stages and a payload of approximately 150 kg for a 200 km 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 HammaguirHammaguir
Hammaguir is a town in Algeria, south-west of Béchar. Between 1947 and 1967 there was a rocket launch site near Hammaguir, used by France for launching sounding rockets and the satellite carrier "Diamant" between 1965 and 1967....
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. It possessed a first stage of 10 m, 1.4 meters in diameter, and a weight of 14.7 metric tons. Their engines of the type LRBA Vexin
Vexin
The Vexin is a historical county of northwestern France. It covers a verdant plateau on the right bank of the Seine comprising an area east-to-west between Pontoise and Romilly-sur-Andelle , and north-to-south between Auneuil and the Seine near Vernon...
supplied a thrust of 269 kN for 93 seconds. The second stage was 4.7 meters long and had a diameter of 80 centimeters. It weighed 2.9 metric tons and developed a thrust of 165 kN for a duration of 44 seconds. The third stage of 2.65 m in diameter. Its weight amounted to 709 kilograms. It burned for 45 seconds and developed a thrust of 27 kN to 53 kN. Completely installed, a Diamond A was 18.95 meters high and weighed 18.4 metric tons.
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 KourouKourou
Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.Kourou is the location of the Guiana Space Centre, France and ESA's main spaceport.-Geography:...
in French Guyana, which thus became established as the sole French and European spaceport, a status that it still holds today (2008).
Its first stage was 14.2 meters long, had a diameter of 1.4 meters and weighed 20.1 metric tons. Its engine developed a thrust of 316 kN to 400 kN (as a function of the flight altitude) for 116 seconds. The second stage the Diamond B corresponded to that the Diamond A. The third stage was 1.67 meters long and had a diameter of 80 centimeters. It developed a thrust of 24 kN for 46 seconds. Completely assembled a Diamond B was 23.5 meters high and weighed 24.6 metric tons.
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. Its second stage, which was derived from the MSBS rocket, was 2.28 meters long and 1.5 meters in diameter and developed a thrust of 180 kN for 55 seconds.Launch list
| Date | Type | Launch Site | Payload | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 26, 1965 | Diamant A | Hammaguir Hammaguir Hammaguir is a town in Algeria, south-west of Béchar. Between 1947 and 1967 there was a rocket launch site near Hammaguir, used by France for launching sounding rockets and the satellite carrier "Diamant" between 1965 and 1967.... |
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 Kourou Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.Kourou is the location of the Guiana Space Centre, France and ESA's main spaceport.-Geography:... |
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.capcomespace.net/dossiers/espace_europeen/ariane/index.htm (French language page with history on French/ESA rockets)
- Precious stone (Series of French rockets built in the 1950s-1960s)