Bérénice was the designation of a four-stage French atmospheric reentry test rocket, developed by O.N.E.R.A. (Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales).^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Description

Bérénice was 13.25 m (43.5 ft) long, possessed a diameter of 0.56 m (1.8 ft) and weighed 3,340 kg (7,360 lb) at launch. The takeoff thrust of Bérénice, which could carry a payload of 3,340 kg (7,360 lb) to a height of 1,000 km (620 mi), amounted to 170 kN (38,000 lbf). The first stage, a SEPR-739 Stromboli, was stabilised by four SEPR-P167 rockets developing 34 kN (7,600 lbf).^[1][4][5] The second stage consisted of a SEPR-740 Stromboli, almost identical to the first stage.^[1][4][5] The third stage was a SEPR-P200 Tramontane and the fourth stage comprised a Mélanie rocket and payload.^[2][3][4][5]

Launches

The twelve production rockets, Bérénice 001 to Bérénice 012, were launched by ONERA from Ile du Levant from 1962 to 1966.^[1][3]

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See also

• Tibère (rocket)
• Antarès (OPd-56-39-22D)
• Mélanie (rocket)
• Veronique (rocket)
• French space program

References