Engineering:Rubis (rocket)

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Short description: French two-stage rocket
Rubis (VE 210)
VE 210 Rubis.svg
A diagram of the Rubis rocket
ManufacturerSEREB
Country of originFrance
Size
Height9.60 metres (31.5 ft)
Diameter0.80 metres (2 ft 7 in)
Mass4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb)
Stages2
Associated rockets
FamilyPierres Précieuses
("Precious Stones")
DerivativesDiamant
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sitesCIEES/DGA Essais de missiles
Total launches10
First flight10 June 1964
Last flight5 July 1967
First stage – NA801
EnginesNA801 Mammouth
Thrust190.00 kilonewtons (42,710 lbf)
Burn time18 seconds
Fuelsolid
Second stage – P6
EnginesP064
Thrust29.40 kilonewtons (6,610 lbf)
Specific impulse211 seconds
Burn time45 seconds
Fuelsolid

The VE 210 Rubis (French, meaning ruby) was a French two-stage rocket.[1]

Military space program pierres précieuses (fr.: gemstones) that included the five prototypes Agathe, Topaze, Emeraude, Rubis and Saphir.

It was part of the pierres précieuses (fr.: gemstones) program, that included five prototypes Agathe, Topaze, Emeraude, Rubis and Saphir,[2] leading up to the Diamant orbital rocket.

Its codename, VE210, indicates that it is a "Véhicule Expérimental" (Experimental Vehicle) with 2 stages, using solid propellant (code 1), and not guided (code 0).

The rocket was used to test technologies used in the Diamant, as well as to launch scientific instruments from the Paris Observatory and Max Planck Institute.[3]

Description

Rubis used an NA801 Mammouth engine (similar to Agate) for its first stage and a P064 engine for its second stage.[1] The Rubis has a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers, a takeoff thrust of 186 kN, a diameter of 0.80 metres (2.6 ft) and a length of 9.60 metres (31.5 ft).

Launches

The Rubis was launched eleven times from 10 June 1964 to 5 July 1967.[1] All Rubis rockets were launched from CIEES at Hammaguir, French Algeria, with the exception of the last launch, which took place from DGA Essais de missiles, Biscarosse.[1]

Number Date Result Launch site Payload
1 10 Jun 1964 Success CIEES Research flight
2 12 Jun 1964 Success CIEES Research flight
3 12 Oct 1964 Stage separation failure CIEES Research flight
4 18 Dec 1964 Stage separation failure CIEES Research flight
5 31 May 1965 Success CIEES A-1 capsule 1 (Asterix prototype)
6 3 Jun 1965 Success CIEES A-1 capsule 2 (Asterix prototype)
7 5 Jun 1965 Success CIEES Rubis 01/D-1
8 30 Sep 1965 Success CIEES Rubis 02
9 22 Apr 1966 Success CIEES Rubis 03/MPE Ba-17
10 5 Jul 1967 Success DGA Essais de missiles Rubis 04

References