Hammaguira Credit - © Mark Wade

The constellation of launch complexes and nuclear weapons test sites established by France in Algeria began with the Special Weapons Test Center (CIEES). This began operations at Colomb-Bechar, Algeria, on April 24, 1947. Two launch areas were established there:

• B0, the first pad, for test of light missiles
• B1, for larger rockets, available from December 1949.

Development of the larger Veronique series required a new facility. This went into operation at Hammaguir, 120 km southwest of Colomb-Bechar, in May 1952.

By the end of the 1950's the launch complexes at Hammaguir had been expanded to include:

• Bacchus for solid propellant sounding rockets
• Blandine for liquid propellant sounding rockets
• Beatrice for Hawk surface-to-air missile tests. This was later used for launches of the Cora test vehicle in support of the Europa orbital launcher program
• Brigitte for the 'precious stones' rocket series, culminating in the Diamant orbital launcher

The evacuation of these launch sites was a condition of the final agreement signed in March 1962 that ended the Algerian Civil War. The sites continued in use until finally turned over to the Algerian government on 1 July 1967. French missile test activities moved to Biscarosse, in France, and orbital launches to Kourou, in French Guiana.

Hammaguira was known to have been used for at least 271 launches from 1952 to 1967.

• Bacchus - Latitude: 30.8565 deg. Longitude: -3.1241 deg. Used by: Belier, Diamant, VE. First Launch: 1960-12-17. Last Launch: 1967-03-28. Number Launches: 108.

• Beatrice - Latitude: 30.8601 deg. Longitude: -3.0851 deg. Used by: Europa. First Launch: 1966-11-27. Last Launch: 1966-12-18. Number Launches: 2.

• Bechar - Latitude: 31.6928 deg. Longitude: -2.2546 deg. Used by: Belier, Veronique. First Launch: 1952-05-20. Last Launch: 1965-11-20. Number Launches: 18. Bou Hammadi, CIEES B0, Colomb-Bechar

• Beni - Latitude: 30.8794 deg. Longitude: -3.0660 deg. Beni Abbes

• Blandine - Latitude: 30.8700 deg. Longitude: -3.0700 deg. Used by: Veronique. First Launch: 1959-03-07. Last Launch: 1967-04-04. Number Launches: 61. Blandine, CIEES B2

• Brigitte - Latitude: 30.8935 deg. Longitude: -3.0357 deg. Used by: Diamant, MSBS, SSBS, VE. First Launch: 1963-03-05. Last Launch: 1967-02-15. Number Launches: 32. Brigitte, CIEES B2

• Brigitte/A - Latitude: 30.8712 deg. Longitude: -3.0081 deg. Agate launcher, Brigitte, CIEES B2

• CB - Latitude: 31.0995 deg. Longitude: -2.8358 deg. Used by: Monica. First Launch: 1955-02-25. Last Launch: 1956-01-17. Number Launches: 5.

• Leger - Latitude: 31.6432 deg. Longitude: -2.2771 deg. Base Georges Leger, CIEES B1, Hameida Hammada, Colomb-Bechar

1947 April 24 - Colomb Bechar rocket test range established. French Government established rocket test range at Colomb Bechar, Algeria.

1952 November 22 - Launch Vehicle: Eole. FAILURE: Failed after seven seconds of flight. Test mission Apogee: 0 km ( mi). Weeks of delays due to problems with getting liquid oxygen to the remote test site have delayed Barre's entry in the fly-off against the Veronique. The first Eole broke up after 7 seconds of flight, a failure attributed to tracer flares fitted to the fins.

1952 November 24 - Launch Vehicle: Eole. FAILURE: Failed after 25 seconds of flight. Test mission Apogee: 2.95 km (1.83 mi). The tracers used on the last flight were omitted. This rocket again loses its fins, but continued to an altitude of 2.95 km. It is determined that the fins were not able to withstand going through the sound barrier.

1957 May 27 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F77 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1957 June 8 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F78 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1957 December 14 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F79 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1957 December 16 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F80 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1957 December 17 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F81 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1957 December 19 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F84 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1958 March 31 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F85 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1958 March 31 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F75 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1958 April 1 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F83 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1959 January 10 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F86 FAILURE: Failure. Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1959 January 13 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F87 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

1959 June 1 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F88 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

1959 June 5 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F76 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi).

1959 November 1 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Test mission Agency: ATEF. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

1959 November 1 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Test mission Agency: ATEF. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

1959 November 1 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Test mission Agency: ATEF. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

1959 December 1 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Test mission Agency: ATEF. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

1959 December 1 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Test mission Agency: ATEF. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

1960 February 1 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Test mission Agency: ATEF. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

1960 May 2 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F89 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1960 May 5 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F90 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).

1961 - Launch Vehicle: Vega SAM. Ramjet Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 25 km (15 mi).

1961 March 7 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F91 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 65 km (40 mi).

1961 March 10 - Launch Vehicle: SE.4400. SE4400 F92 Test mission Agency: STA. Apogee: 67 km (41 mi).

1961 May 13 - Launch Vehicle: Antares. Antares 013 Ionosphere mission? Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 280 km (170 mi).

1962 December 4 - Launch Vehicle: Belier. Centaure C21 Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 130 km (80 mi).

1962 December 7 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Meteo-MD MD-01/6 (106) FAILURE: Failure. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 17 km (10 mi).

1962 December 7 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Meteo-MD MD-01/5 (105) FAILURE: Failure. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 21 km (13 mi).

1963 February 19 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Emma 05 Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1963 February 20 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Emma 06 Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1963 February 26 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Emma 02 Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 32 km (19 mi).

1963 February 28 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Emma 01 Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 55 km (34 mi).

1963 May 10 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 25 km (15 mi).

1963 May 10 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 18 km (11 mi).

1963 May 24 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Meteo-MD MD-01/8 (108) Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1963 May 29 - Launch Vehicle: Monica. Meteo-MD Meteo M1A 01 Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1963 October 8 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Emma 03 FAILURE: Failure. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 2.00 km (1.20 mi).

1963 October 10 - Launch Vehicle: Emma. Emma 04 Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES. Apogee: 55 km (34 mi).

1964 July 1 - Launch Vehicle: Belenos. Aurore 1 Aeronomy mission Agency: MeteoNat. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1966 November 18 - 16:44 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Belenos. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES?. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

1966 November 19 - 16:44 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Belenos. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES?. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

1966 November 20 - 16:53 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Belenos. Aeronomy mission Agency: CNES?. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).