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The Éridan is a two-stage French sounding rocket, which results from the use of the Stromboli engine (also used on the Dragon and Dauphin) for the first and second stages.[1][2]
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| Country of origin | France |
|---|---|
| First flight | 26 September 1968 |
| Last flight | 14 November 1979 |
| Application | high altitude research |
| sounding rocket | |
It belonged to a family of solid-propellant rockets that also encompasses the Belier, the Centaure, the Dragon, and the Dauphin.[3][4] As the most powerful version of this series it could lift payloads from 120 kilograms (260 lb) to 250 kilograms (550 lb) up to altitudes of 220 kilometres (720,000 ft) to a maximum of 425 kilometres (1,394,000 ft).[5]
Its ascent time is between 230 and 350 seconds.[6] Total thrust was 90.00 kN (20,232 lbf) with a gross mass of 2,006 kilograms (4,422 lb) to 2,316 kilograms (5,106 lb) depending in payload. The rocket had a height of 9.92 metres (32.5 ft), a diameter of 0.56 metres (1.8 ft) and a span of 1.773 metres (5.82 ft).[2][5]
An improved version called Éridan II was planned in 1971 but it never materialized due to the project being cancelled in 1973.[1]
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Éridan was flown fifteen times between 1968 and 1979 from Kourou and the Kerguelen Islands.[2]
The first flight from Kourou on 26 September 1968 failed,[2] but was followed by twelve successful launches that took the rocket to altitudes of 196 to 420 km between 12 April 1969 and 14 November 1979. Objectives were ultraviolet astronomy experiments, solar physics and training launches for operators at the Kourou launch base.[5]
Two Éridan were launched in January and February 1975 off the Kerguelen Islands for magnetosphere studies.[1][2]
| Date | Launch Site | Launch Complex | Mission Description | Apogee (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 September 26 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | Failure | 0 |
| 1969 April 12 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FU-181B test flight test | 406 |
| 1969 April 23 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FU-187 test, A cone test | 420 |
| 1969 August 22 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FU-187 test, B cone test | 242 |
| 1971 May 17 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FU-203 recovery test | 196 |
| 1971 October 16 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | ATLAS / CM16 / Gemini Ultraviolet astronomy mission | 205 |
| 1972 November 11 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FU-201 LPSP-EUV2 | 300 |
| 1972 December 7 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FU-205 JANUS Ultraviolet astronomy mission | 213 |
| 1973 November 11 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FU-201 (Solar EUV 2) Solar extreme ultraviolet mission | 300 |
| 1974 November 5 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FAUST FU-214 Ultraviolet astronomy mission | 220 |
| 1974 November 19 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | FAUST FU-215 Ultraviolet astronomy mission | 220 |
| 1975 January 26 | Kerguelen | - | ARAKS Northward Ionosphere / plasma mission | 190 |
| 1975 February 15 | Kerguelen | - | ARAKS Eastward Ionosphere / plasma mission | 185 |
| 1978 November 23 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | Ariane range test | 350 |
| 1979 June 13 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | Ariane range test | 350 |
| 1979 November 14 | Kourou | Kourou ALFS | Ariane range test | 350 |
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