Las Palmas | |
---|---|
Lapachito, Chaco | |
Chaco province, 35 km east of Resistencia | |
Location in Argentina | |
Coordinates | 27°08′S 58°45′W / 27.13°S 58.75°W |
Type | rocket launch site |
Site information | |
Operator | CNES, CNIE |
Site history | |
In use | November 12, 1966 |
Las Palmas (also mentioned as Lapachito and Chaco)[1] is a rocket launch site in Argentina at 27°08′S 58°45′W / 27.13°S 58.75°W used on November 12, 1966,[2] for the launch of two Titus rockets[3] for observing a solar eclipse.[4][5][3][6][1][7]
The site is located in the steppes of the Las Palmas region in the east of the Chaco province, 35 km east of the city of Resistencia (itself located about a thousand kilometers north of the Argentine capital Buenos Aires).[7]
It had no previous facilities, so rocket assembly halls (300 m2), a science building (320 m2), trajectory centers, a command post, launch infrastructure, telemetry stations and the power system were set.[7]
The choice of this location was justified firstly by the fact that the region was crossed by the eclipse. Secondly, the existence of a natural environment allowing the recovery of rocket nose cones, with the impact zone clear of vegetation for better detection and recovery.[7]