CAT-1 (also Technological Capsule 1, also Obélix) was the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

on their own rocket, the

Ariane 1 Ariane 1 was the first rocket in the Ariane family of expendable launch systems. It was developed and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), which had been formed in 1973, the same year that development of the launcher had commenced. A ...

. It was only intended to provide data on the launch characteristics of the new rocket and was only powered for 8 orbits.Ariane 1
, Encyclopedia Astronautica

References

External links

Image of satellite
European Space Agency satellites First artificial satellites of a country Satellites formerly orbiting Earth Spacecraft launched in 1979 {{Europe-spacecraft-stub