Otrag Zaire Credit - © Mark Wade Media Gallery

In December 1975 Otrag signed an agreement with the Congolese government to established a rocket range to test its low-cost rockets deep in the interior at Shaba (Katanga) province. The austere site included logistic support via antique British Argosy transports landing at a dirt strip on a plateau overlooking the jungle. Here a pad and gantry were erected and flight tests began in 1977. However Otrag's activities made the great powers nervous. The USSR was not interested in Germany achieving an indigenous long-range rocket activity. The government of the Congo was pressured by the USSR to withdraw permission to use the site. Otrag was thrown out of the country in April 1979.

Shaba North Credit - © Mark Wade

• 1977 May 17 08:15 - Otrag Flight 1 Launch Vehicle: Otrag. 4 x 2.5 tonne thrust Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). Four-module test vehicle, 6 m long. Propulsion test. Reached 20 km altitude. 100% successful.

• 1978 May 20 22:01 - Otrag Flight 2 Launch Vehicle: Otrag. 4 x 2.5 tonne thrust Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). Four-module test vehicle, 6 m long. High altitude night test. Reached 150 km altitude.

• 1978 June 5 11:40 - Otrag Flight 3 Launch Vehicle: Otrag. Failure. Heeled over and crashed after a few seconds.. 4 x 2.5 tonne thrust Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). Four module test vehicle, 12 m long. Pitch and yaw control test. Attempt to reach 100 km, but veered off course on launch due to a valve on one unit being stuck at 50% thrust.

• 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.

• Serra, Jean-Jacques, Rockets in Europe, . Accessed at: http://www.univ-perp.fr/fuseurop/index_e.htm.