The Antarès (OPd-56-39-22D) was a French
multistage rocket
A multistage rocket or step rocket is a launch vehicle that uses two or more rocket ''stages'', each of which contains its own engines and propellant. A ''tandem'' or ''serial'' stage is mounted on top of another stage; a ''parallel'' stage is ...
designed by
ONERA
The Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales ( English: National office for aerospace studies and research) or ONERA, dubbed ''The French Aerospace Lab'' in English, is the French national aerospace research center. Originally f ...
for
reentry
Atmospheric entry (sometimes listed as Vimpact or Ventry) is the movement of an object from outer space into and through the gases of an atmosphere of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite. Atmospheric entry may be ''uncontrolled entr ...
studies.
In the late 1950s, the study of missile warhead reentry necessitated the development of a more robust rocket than the existing OR, VD and OPd series. The Antarès rocket, designated OPd-56-39-22D during its developmental phase, was designed to facilitate the study of kinetic heating on objects flying at speeds up to
Mach
The Mach number (M or Ma), often only Mach, (; ) is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics representing the ratio of flow velocity past a Boundary (thermodynamic), boundary to the local speed of sound.
It is named after the Austrian physi ...
7.
Description
Measuring 12.2 meters in length and boasting a takeoff weight of up to 1785 kg, the rocket consisted of four stages. Three of these stages were ignited in an upward trajectory, reaching altitudes of up to 150 km, while the fourth stage accelerated the payload during its descent.
Utilizing all four stages during ascent, Antares had the capability to send a payload of 35 kg to an altitude of 280 km.
The first stage featured a SEPR 734-1 Vesuve motor with a diameter of 56 cm and a length of 3.5 m, delivering a total impulse of 1025 kNs with less than 5 seconds burn time.
The second stage, known as the sustainer stage Neptune, measured 39 cm in diameter and 3.2 m in length, providing 630 kNs with 32 seconds burn time.
The third stage was a SEPR 685-4 Mimosa, 2.6 m long and 20 cm in diameter, delivering 167 kNs in less with a 5 seconds burn time. The fourth stage
Mélanie motor was attached to the payload, measuring 22 cm in diameter.
Launches
Between May 2, 1959, and May 13, 1961, a total of thirteen launches took place, with six of them falling under the designation Antarès.
Antarès firings were preceded by a unique launch on January 30, 1959, involving the OPd-12-10-D rocket, consisting of an OPd-100 surrounded by three boosters with a diameter of 122 mm.
See also
*
Bérénice (rocket)
Bérénice was the designation of a four-stage French atmospheric reentry test rocket, developed by O.N.E.R.A. (''Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales'').
Description
Bérénice was long, possessed a diameter of and wei ...
*
Mélanie (rocket) Mélanie is a French solid rocket motor, 16 cm in diameter, initially used as first stage of the Monica rocket.
There are two versions, Mélanie and ''"2Mélanie"'' (exact name unknown) :
The first version was used on Monica I, II and IVA; w ...
*
Veronique (rocket)
*
French space program
The French space program includes both commercial spaceflight, civil and military spaceflight activities. It is the third oldest national space program in the world, after the Soviet space program, Soviet (now Roscosmos, Russian) and Space policy ...
References
{{French rockets
Rockets and missiles
Onera sounding rockets