Vesta
Sounding rocket. Year: 1965. Family: Other Suborbital Vehicles. Country: France. Status: Out of production.

In the late 1950's LRBA studied several possible configurations for a 'Super Veronique' sounding rocket, with engines of 80 to 250 kN to carry a payload of 100 kg up to 600 km altitude. In 1962 CNES ordered the Vesta configuration. Static tests in 1964 led to a modest series of launches in 1965-1969.

Manufacturer: LRBA. Launches: 5. First Launch Date: 1965-10-15. Last Launch Date: 1969-11-08. Launch data is: complete. Payload: 500 kg (1,100 lb). Apogee: 400 km (240 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 140.000 kN (31,470 lbf). Total Mass: 5,700 kg (12,500 lb). Core Diameter: 1.00 m (3.20 ft). Total Length: 10.20 m (33.40 ft). Boost Propulsion: Nitric acid/turpentine.

Vesta Chronology

1965 October 15 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Blandine. Launch Vehicle: Vesta. LV Configuration: Vesta 001.

  • FU-123 Test mission Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). FU123 Technology mission. References: 793.
1965 October 25 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Blandine. Launch Vehicle: Vesta. LV Configuration: Vesta 002.
  • FU-123 Test mission Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). FU-123 Technology mission. References: 793.
1967 March 7 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Blandine. Launch Vehicle: Vesta. LV Configuration: Vesta 004.
  • FU-147 Biological mission Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 243 km (150 mi). References: 793.
1967 March 13 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Blandine. Launch Vehicle: Vesta. LV Configuration: Vesta 005.
  • FU-147 Biological mission Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 234 km (145 mi). References: 793.
1969 November 8 - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ALFS V. Launch Vehicle: Vesta. LV Configuration: Vesta 006.
  • FU-189 Test mission Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 204 km (126 mi). FU-189 Astronomy mission. References: 793.
Bibliography and Further Reading
  • McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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