Dragon (rocket)

This article is about the French sounding rocket of the 1970s. For the newer American spacecraft, see SpaceX Dragon.

The Dragon is a two-stage French solid propellant sounding rocket used for high altitude research.[1][2] Its first stage was a Stromboli engine (diameter 56 cm) which burned 675 kg of fuel in 16 s and so produced a maximum thrust of 88 kN. A Belier engine was used as the upper stage. It belonged thereby to a family of solid-propellant rockets derived from the Belier, including the Centaure, the Dauphin and the Eridan. A payload of 30 to 120 kg could be carried on parabolic with apogees between 440 km (270 mi) (Dragon 2B)[3] and 4560 km (340 mi)(Dragon III)[4] The Dragon was built in several versions including the Dragon-2B,[3] and Dragon-3,[4] Dragons have been launched from Andøya, Norway; Biscarrosse, France; Dumont d'Urville, Antarctica; Chamical, Argentina; Hammaguir, Algeria; Kerguelen Islands; Kourou, French Guiana; Mar Chiquita, Argentina; Salto di Quirra, Sardinia; Sonmiani, Pakistan; Thumba, India; and Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Dragon 1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  2. ↑ "France Fires Rocket". Montreal, QC: The Gazette. Reuters. April 2, 1968. p. 2. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Dragon 2B". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Dragon 3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Overview of rocket launch sites worldwide". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
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