Topaze
Encyclopedia
Topaze is the designation of a French
sounding rocket
. The Topaze was built by SEREB (now Aérospatiale
) and was the first guidable French elevator research rocket. The Topaze was launched 14 times from Hammaguir
, Algeria
by ONERA
.
There were two versions of the Topaze:
The Topaze was also used as the second stage of the Diamant
rocket.
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...
sounding rocket
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...
. The Topaze was built by SEREB (now Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale was a French aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale...
) and was the first guidable French elevator research rocket. The Topaze was launched 14 times from 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....
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
by ONERA
Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales
Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales or Onera is the French aerospace research center. It is a public establishment with industrial and commercial operations, and carries out application-oriented research to support enhanced innovation and competitiveness in the aerospace and...
.
There were two versions of the Topaze:
- Topaze VE111C
- payload weight: 410 kgKilogramThe kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
(900 lbPound (mass)The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
) - total weight: 2900 kg (6400 lb)
- length: 7.07 m (23.2 ft)
- range: 80 km (49 miMileA mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
) - liftoff thrust: 120.0 kN
- payload weight: 410 kg
- There were six launches between 19 December 1962 and 24 October 1963, reaching an apogee of 80 km (49 mi).
- Topaze VE111L
- payload weight: 360 kg (840 lb)
- total weight: 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).
The Topaze was also used as the second stage of the Diamant
Diamant
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 European launcher projects...
rocket.