Diamant A

Diamant-A Precious Stone A

Mission Profile

The Diamant A (Diamant-A, Precious Stone A) was a three-stage French launch vehicle in the Emeraude family, derived from the Pierres Précieuses military missile test programme and the rocket that made France the third nation to independently launch a satellite. Standing 18.9 m tall with a 1.4 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 18.4 tonnes, it generated 274 kN of first-stage thrust and could deliver 80 kg to low Earth orbit. First flying in November 1965, the Diamant A launched the Astérix satellite, establishing France as a spacefaring nation.