Berenice

Berenice Test Vehicle

Mission Profile

The Berenice was a miniature French single-stage test rocket developed in the early 1960s to provide low-cost testing of propellant combinations and propulsion technologies being evaluated for France's nascent space launch program. Standing just 2 m tall with a 0.3 m diameter and a liftoff mass of only 80 kg, it was designed for affordable, high-cadence testing of rocket motor performance at small scale before committing to larger development programs. First flown in June 1962, the Berenice contributed to France's accumulation of propulsion knowledge that supported the progression toward the Diamant orbital launch vehicle and eventually the Ariane family.