Agate (rocket)
VE 110 Agate is the designation of an unguided French test rocket developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[1][2][3]
 Agate VE 110 | |
| Function | Sounding rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SEREB |
| Country of origin | France |
| Size | |
| Height | 8.50 metres (27.9 ft) |
| Diameter | 0.80 metres (2.6 ft) |
| Mass | 3,200 kilograms (7,100 lb) |
| Stages | 1 |
| Associated rockets | |
| Derivative work | Rubis, Diamant |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | CIEES/Ile de Levant |
| Total launches | 12 |
| Success(es) | 11 |
| Failure(s) | 1 |
| First flight | June 3, 1961 |
| Last flight | April 20, 1964 |
| First stage | |
| Powered by | NA801 Mammouth |
| Maximum thrust | 186 kilonewtons (42,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | Solid |
It was part of the Pierres précieuses (fr.: gemstones) program, that included five prototypes Agathe, Topaze, Emeraude, Rubis and Saphir,[3] leading up to the Diamant orbital rocket.
The Agate has a length of 8.50 metres, a diameter of 0.80 metres, a start mass of 3.2 tonnes, a takeoff thrust of 186 kN and a ceiling of 20 km. It used a NA801 Mammouth solid propellant rocket engine (same as the Rubis VE-210).[2]
The initial version was designated VE (Véhicule Expérimental) 110,[1][3] while the VE 110RR version was used to develop recovery procedures at sea.[2][3] The name indicates that it is a "Véhicule Expérimental" (Experimental Vehicle) with 1 stage, using solid propulsion (code 1), and not guided (code 0).
Agate and Rubis rockets
Launches
The Agate was launched from the CIEES test site in Hammaguir, French Algeria, and the Île du Levant test site,[2] in order to test instrument capsules and recovery systems.[3]
| Date | Launch Site | Launch Complex | Mission Description | Apogee (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 June 3 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Bacchus | Test mission | 20 |
| 1961 June 7 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Bacchus | Test mission | 20 |
| 1961 Nov 13 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Bacchus | Test mission | 20 |
| 1961 Nov 17 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Bacchus | Test mission | 20 |
| 1962 Mar 19 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Bacchus | Test mission | 20 |
| 1962 Mar 23 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Bacchus | Test mission | 20 |
| 1963 May 18 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Brigitte | Test mission | 20 |
| 1963 May 21 | Hammaguira | Hammaguira Brigitte | Test mission | 20 |
| 1963 Nov 19 | Île du Levant | CERES | Failure | 0 |
| 1963 Nov 28 | Ile du Levant | CERES | Test mission | 20 |
| 1964 Feb 28 | Ile du Levant | CERES | Test mission | 20 |
| 1964 Apr 20 | Ile du Levant | CERES | Test mission | 20 |
References
- "Agate (VE-110)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- Wade, Mark (2019). "Agate". Encyclopedia Astronautica.
- Capdevila, Didier. "Les Constellations et les Pierres Précieuses". Capcom Espace. Retrieved 2023-08-29.