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 to up to altitudes of to a maximum of .
Its ascent time is between 230 and 350 seconds. Total thrust was 90.00 kN (20,232 lbf) with a gross mass of to depending in payload. The rocket had a height of , a diameter of and a span of .
An improved version called Éridan II was planned in 1971 but it never materialized due to the project being cancelled in 1973.
Launches Éridan was flown fifteen times between 1968 and 1979 from Kourou and the Kerguelen Islands.
The first flight from Kourou on 26 September 1968 failed, but was followed by twelve successful launches that took the rocket to altitudes of 196 to 420 km between 12 April 1969 and 14 November 1979. Objectives were ultraviolet astronomy experiments, solar physics and training launches for operators at the Kourou launch base.
Two Éridan were launched in January and February 1975 off the Kerguelen Islands for magnetosphere studies. DateLaunch siteLaunch ComplexMission DescriptionApogee (km)1968 September 26KourouKourou ALFSFailure01969 April 12KourouKourou ALFSFU-181B test flight test4061969 April 23KourouKourou ALFSFU-187 test, A cone test4201969 August 22KourouKourou ALFSFU-187 test, B cone test2421971 May 17KourouKourou ALFSFU-203 recovery test1961971 October 16KourouKourou ALFSATLAS / CM16 / Gemini Ultraviolet astronomy mission2051972 November 11KourouKourou ALFSFU-201 LPSP-EUV23001972 December 7KourouKourou ALFSFU-205 JANUS Ultraviolet astronomy mission2131973 November 11KourouKourou ALFSFU-201 (Solar EUV 2) Solar extreme ultraviolet mission3001974 November 5KourouKourou ALFSFAUST FU-214 Ultraviolet astronomy mission2201974 November 19KourouKourou ALFSFAUST FU-215 Ultraviolet astronomy mission2201975 January 26Kerguelen -ARAKS Northward Ionosphere / plasma mission1901975 February 15Kerguelen -ARAKS Eastward Ionosphere / plasma mission1851978 November 23KourouKourou ALFSAriane range test3501979 June 13KourouKourou ALFSAriane range test3501979 November 14KourouKourou ALFSAriane range test350
See also
Belier Centaure Dauphin
Dragon
References