Diamant
|
|
Diamant |
| The first liquid-propelled
Precious Stone was to use the experience gained by the LRBA with Veronique and
Vesta rockets. The Emeraude was the first LRBAs large rocket with liquid-propellant
(12.8 tons of nitric acid and terpentine). The diameter of the vehicle reached
1.40 m and the 280 kN engine, extrapolated that of Vesta, was always supplied
by tanks pressurization. Emeraude was intended for the study of high power liquid
propulsion and piloting by nozzle orientation (pitch and yaw) and aerodynamic
control surfaces (roll). During the tests, Emeraude was topped by an inert Topaze
mockup. The first three launches, carried out in 1964, ended into failures due primarily to an ignorance of POGO effect and liquid propellants tossing. These defects could be corrected rather quickly and the last two launches were successful before mid-1965. In the Saphir, a second stage Topaze became active. This vehicle was to allow the in-flight experimentation of piloting a two-stage rocket, stages separation, inertial guidance and warhead re-entry. These various aspects were studied with three successive versions, named P (Piloting), G (Guidance) and R (Re-entry). Three Saphir P were fired from July to October 1965, of which two successes. Six Saphir G were fired successfully from March 1966 to January 1967, on ranges from 1500 to 2100 km. Five Saphir R out of the six launched, allowed the study of ablative protection warhead re-entry between March and December 1966. December 18, 1961, the Committee on Space Research decided to develop a space launcher, named Diamant A, by replacing the Saphir payload by a third stage. An agreement was concluded between the DMA (Ministerial Delegation for Armament) and the CNES in May 1962, and the SEREB was nominated as project manager of the program. It was essential to equip Diamant-A with a high performances third stage. The choice turned to a reeled structure motor loaded with 640 kg of Isolane propellant and delivering a thrust from 27 to 53 kN during 45 seconds. The Diamant A launcher was made of a 10 m high, 1.4 m diameter Emeraude first stage weighing 14.7 tons. Its Vexin LRBA directional-nozzle motor burned during 96 seconds and delivered 266 kN thrust at sea level (302 kN in vacuum). The second stage was Topaze 4.7 m high per 0.85 m diameter and weighed 2.9 tons. It provided a mean thrust of 120 kN during 47 seconds. The P0.64 third stage was 2.0 m high and 0.65 m diameter. It weighed 0.736 ton including 0.641 ton Isolane (thus its name). It burned for 45 seconds providing 38 kN thrust. With its cap Diamant was 18.94 m high and weighed 18.47 tons. |
|
All launches were
carried out from the CIEES (Centre InterArmees d'Essais d'Engins Speciaux) in Sahara
which was closed in July 1967.
After numerous projects appear but CNES decides to built a launcher
Diamant B directly derived
from Diamant A. The main evolution was the lengthened first stage which used more
energy-providing propellants. This first stage called Amethyste was 14.0 m high,
1.4 m diameter, and 20.7 t weight. Its Valois motor delivered 349 kN thrust at sea
level (396 kN in vacuum) during 112 seconds. The second stage was identical the
Diamant A's one. The top stage (P0.68) was also enhanced 1.67 m high, 0.80 m diameter
and 41 kN thrust during 45 seconds. With its cap (85 cm diameter instead of 65 cm
for Diamant A) Diamant B was 23.18 m high and weighed 24.58 tons. All launches occured
from the CSG (Centre Spatial Guyanais).
Development of Diamant BP4 started in Jan 1972. It was based on the first and third stage
of its ancestor. The new second stage P4.0 (Rita) was from the ballistic missile
MSBS guided by jet deviation (freon injection). It was 3.55 m long and 1.51 m diameter;
it provided a mean 176 kN thrust during 55 seconds. With the 1.38 to1.58 m cap from
the Black Arrow program Diamant BP4 was 21.36 m high and weighed 26.33 tons.
After 1975 France stopped its national launcher programs to devote entirely to the
European Ariane launcher.
| Designation | max. Payload (kg) | ||
| 300-km-orbit | 500-km-orbit | 1.000-km-orbit | |
| A | 80 | ||
| B | 160 | 115 | 25 |
| BP4 | 200 | 153 | 45 |
