Dragon (rocket)

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Country of originFrance[1]
Applicationhigh altitude research
Dragon
Country of originFrance[1]
Applicationhigh altitude research
sounding rocket[2]
Sud-Aviation Belier rocket family.

The Dragon is a two-stage French solid propellant[3] sounding rocket used for high altitude research between 1962 and 1973.[4][5][6][7][8] It belonged thereby to a family of solid-propellant rockets derived from the Bélier, including the Centaure, the Dauphin and the Éridan.[9]

The dragon's first stage was a Stromboli engine (diameter 56 cm) which burned 675 kg of propellant in 16 seconds and so produced a maximum thrust of 88 kN.[9] Versions of the Bélier engine were used as upper stages.[9]

A payload of 30 to 120 kg could be carried on parabolic with apogees between 440 km (270 mi) (Dragon-2B)[6] and 560 km (340 mi)(Dragon-3)[7]

The Dragon was built in several versions including the Dragon-2B, and Dragon-3:[6][7][9]

Version Stages Gross mass (kg) Height (m) Diameter (m) Apogee (km) Payload (kg)
Dragon Stromboli + Belier I 1157 7.10 0.56 475 60
Dragon-2B Stromboli + Belier II 1200 7 0.56 440
Dragon-3 Stromboli + Belier III 1190 8.16 0.56 560 60

Launches

See also

References

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