Éridan (rocket)

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.

It belonged to a family of solid-propellant rockets that also encompasses the Belier, the Centaure, the Dragon, and the Dauphin. As the most powerful version of this series it could lift payloads from 100 to 420 kg to heights of 200 to a maximum of 460 km. Its ascent time is between 230 and 350 seconds.

Total thrust was 90.00 kN (20,232 lbf) with a gross mass of 2,127 kg (4,689 lb). The rocket had a height of 9.92 m (32.54 ft), a diameter of 0.56 m (1.82 ft) and a span of 1.55 m (5.10 ft).

Launches
The main launch site was Kourou, but the first flight on 26 September 1968 from this site failed. Twelve additional launches took the rocket to altitudes of 196 – 420 km between 12 April 1969 and 14 November 1979. Two Éridan were launched in January and February 1975 off the Kerguelen Islands.