Saphir (rocket)

Saphir

A diagram of the Saphir rocket
Manufacturer	SEREB
Country of origin	France
Size
Height	17.77 metres (58.3 ft)
Diameter	1.40 metres (4 ft 7 in)
Mass	18,058 kilograms (39,811 lb)
Stages	2
Associated rockets
Family	Pierres Précieuses ("Precious Stones")
Derivative work	Diamant
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	CIEES
Total launches	15
Success(es)	13
Failure(s)	2
First flight	5 July 1965
Last flight	27 January 1967
First stage – Emeraude
Powered by	1 Vexin-B
Maximum thrust	301.55 kilonewtons (67,790 lbf)
Specific impulse	251 seconds
Burn time	93 seconds
Propellant	N2O4/UDMH
Second stage – Topaze
Maximum thrust	120 kilonewtons (27,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	255 seconds
Burn time	39 seconds
Propellant	solid
[edit on Wikidata]

VE 231 Saphir (French, meaning sapphire) was a French two stage sounding rocket.^[1]

It was part of the pierres précieuses (fr.: gemstones) program, that included five prototypes Agathe, Topaze, Emeraude, Rubis and Saphir,^[2] leading up to the Diamant orbital rocket.

Its codename, VE 231, indicates that it is a "Véhicule Expérimental" (Experimental Vehicle) with 2 stages, using liquid and solid propellant (code 3), and guided (code 1).

Saphir was used between 1965 and 1967 and had a payload capacity of 365 kilograms (805 lb). The rocket could reach a maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) and produced thrust of 280 kilonewtons (63,000 lb_f) at launch. Saphir had a launch mass of 18,058 kilograms (39,811 lb), a diameter of 1.40 metres (4 ft 7 in) and a length of 17.77 metres (58.3 ft).^[3]

Saphir variants were designed to allow testing of radio-controlled guidance (VE231P), inertial guidance (VE231G), and warhead separation and ablative heat shielding of a re-entry vehicle (VE231R).^[3][4]

The Diamant rocket, which carried the first French satellite, Asterix-1, into orbit, was developed from the Saphir with the addition of a third stage. After the successful launch of Diamant, Saphir rockets were used to test technologies for France's burgeoning intercontinental ballistic missile development—as mentioned before, radio and inertial guidance, warhead separation, and ablative heat shielding of a re-entry vehicle.^[3][4]