Monica (rocket)

Monica is the designation of a small French sounding rocket.[1] It was intended as a cheaper counterpart to the relatively expensive Veronique rockets.[2]

Monica
Monica rocket family
Country of originFrance
Size
Height3.05 to 6.27m
Diameter1.3 to 1.6 m
Mass62 to 154 kg
Stages3
Capacity
Launch history
StatusSucceeded by the ONERA test vehicles
Launch sitesCIEES, Ile de Levant

Monica was a 3-stage rocket, with all stages burning solid fuel: the Melanie (burning Plastolite) for the first stage and Theodore and Oreste (burning Epictete) for the second and third stages.[2] The first stage delivered 450 daN (decanewtons) for 3 seconds and the two upper stages deliver 50 daN for 15 and 5.5 seconds, respectively.

It was built in several versions (Meteo, Monica I to V, MD-01, Grannos),[3][4] which were between 3.05 and 6.27 m long and had a takeoff weight between 62 and 154 kg.[5]

It was launched several times between 1955 and 1962 at the CIEES launch site in Hammaguir, French Algeria, and the Ile de Levant site in France.[2]

The Monica design process encountered a number of difficulties, leading to many failed tests and the early cancellation of the program in 1962. However, elements of its design were later incorporated into more successful ONERA test vehicles.[5]

Versions

Monica vehicles used diferent solid fuel rocket engines:[5]

Monica rocket engine characteristics
Stage / Engine Length

(mm)

 Diameter

(mm)

 Propellant mass

(kg)

 Total impulse

(daNs)

 Burning time

(s)

Melanie 1065 160 15 3100 5
2Melanie* 2170 160 30 6200 5
Prosper 1180 160 23.5 4700 10
Theodore 815 130 9.4 1800 10
Oreste 490 130 3.6 680 8

Monica vehicles had several versions, according to the rocket stages used:[5][1]

Monica version characteristics
Type Stages Length (mm) Total weight (kg) Payload weight (kg) Peak altitude (km)
Monica I Melanie-Theodore-Oreste 3050 62 15 53
Monica II Melanie-Theodore-Theodore 3375 71 15 103
Monica III 2Melanie-Prosper-Theodore 4845 118 15 145
Monica IVA Melanie-Prosper-Prosper 5115 123 15 94
Monica IVB 2Melanie-Melanie-Prosper 5115 123 15 94
Monica V 2Melanie-Prosper-Prosper 6270 154 15 160

References
  1. Krebs, Gunter D. "Monica". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  2. Wade, Mark. "Monica". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  3. Wade, Mark. "Monica I". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  4. Wade, Mark. "Monica IV". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  5. Jacques Serra, Jean. "The Monica rockets". Rockets in Europe. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2018.


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