Agate

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Agate

The Agate was the first of the 'precious stone' series of French rockets leading to the Diamant satellite launcher. The Agate single-stage vehicle used the NA801 Mammouth solid propellant rocket developed originally for the SSBT program. The purpose of the fin-stabilized unguided rocket was to test the recoverable instrument pod planned for later missile tests. The Agate R / VE110RR version was used to develop recovery procedures at sea.

AKA: VE110. Status: Retired 1964. First Launch: 1961-06-03. Last Launch: 1964-04-20. Number: 12 . Thrust: 186.00 kN (41,814 lbf). Gross mass: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). Height: 8.50 m (27.80 ft). Diameter: 0.80 m (2.62 ft). Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

Subtopics

Topaze VE111 Topaze was the first guided rocket in the French 'precious stones' series. As such it was the first launched from a pad rather than a ramp. The initial model was the VE111C (short) with the NA802 motor.

Topaze VE111L French test vehicle. The VE111L (long) used the stretched NA803 motor. The VE111L was successfully demonstrated the thrust vectoring concept over a longer burn period. The last two flights were VE111LG configuration, equipped with all-up inertial navigation systems.

Rubis Two-stage test vehicle consisting of 1 x Agate + 1 x P064. It was designed to test the upper stage and payload elements of the Diamant orbital launcher. These included fairing jettison, spin-up, release, and ignition of the P064 final stage. Six launches were used to validate the design and led to the success of the Diamant on its first flight. The last four launches were made on behalf of CNES to validate payloads for the D1 satellite and carry scientific instruments for the Paris Observatory and Max Planck Institute.

NA801 SEREB solid rocket engine. Rubis stage 1.

Topaze VE111C French test vehicle. Six successful VE111C flights successfully demonstrated the concept. The remaining four VE111C's were flown in the VE111CI version to demonstrate recovery from purposely-induced unstable conditions for the MSBS SLBM.

Family: test vehicle. Country: France. Launch Sites: Hammaguira, Ile du Levant, Hammaguira Bacchus, Hammaguira Brigitte. Stages: NA801, Mammouth. Agency: SEREB.

1961 June 3 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1961 June 7 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1961 November 13 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1961 November 17 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1962 March 19 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1962 March 23 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1962 December 19 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1963 March 22 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1963 March 28 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1963 May 18 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Brigitte. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1963 May 21 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Brigitte. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1963 June 21 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1963 June 27 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1963 October 24 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi).

1963 November 19 - . Launch Site: Ile du Levant. Launch Pad: CERES. Launch Vehicle: Agate. FAILURE: Failure.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi).

1963 November 28 - . Launch Site: Ile du Levant. Launch Pad: CERES. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1963 December 21 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111L.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 110 km (60 mi).

1964 February 28 - . Launch Site: Ile du Levant. Launch Pad: CERES. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1964 March 11 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111L.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 110 km (60 mi).

1964 April 20 - . Launch Site: Ile du Levant. Launch Pad: CERES. Launch Vehicle: Agate.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1964 June 4 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

MSBS test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). MSBS stability recovery test.

1964 June 10 - . 05:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

A-1 capsule test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 1,800 km (1,100 mi).

1964 June 12 - . 05:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

A-1 capsule test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 1,800 km (1,100 mi).

1964 October 12 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis. FAILURE: Failure.

A-1 capsule test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1964 October 21 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

MSBS test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). MSBS stability recovery test.

1964 December 11 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

MSBS test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). MSBS stability recovery test.

1964 December 15 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111.

MSBS test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). MSBS stability recovery test.

1964 December 18 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis. FAILURE: Failure.

A-1 capsule test - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1965 May 18 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111L.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

1965 May 21 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Topaze VE111L.

Test mission - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

1965 May 31 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

A-1 capsule - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 2,000 km (1,200 mi).

1965 June 3 - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

A-1 capsule - . Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 2,000 km (1,200 mi).

1965 June 5 - . 05:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

Rubis 01/D-1 Test/Ionosphere mission - . Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 2,020 km (1,250 mi). Carried a D-1 satellite test experiment, a magnetosphere sensor, and a Meudon radioastronomy experiment with a 36m dipole observing at 1.8 and 2.4 MHz.

1965 September 30 - . 04:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

Rubis 02 Radio astronomy / particles mission - . Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 1,760 km (1,090 mi).

1966 April 22 - . 20:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Bacchus. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

Rubis 03 / MPE Ba-17 Plasma / ionosphere / barium release mission - . Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 2,035 km (1,264 mi).

1967 July 5 - . 14:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Biscarosse. LV Family: Agate. Launch Vehicle: Rubis.

Rubis 04 Astronomy mission - . Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 1,560 km (960 mi). Radio-astronomy experiment; measured the MHz range radio background.

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