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Space Launchers

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Hammaguir: Brigitte pad

Created in Colomb-Bechar on April 24, 1947, the Special Weapons Test Center (CEES) became inter-arms - Army and Air Force - in 1948. The tests were carried out from two stations designated B0 and B1, the second being more particularly arranged for the tests of powerful missiles as from December 1949. At the beginning of the Fifties, the B1 polygon became insufficient and several tests sites were created around the principal complex. Among those, Hammaguir located at 120 km in the south-west of Colomb-Bechar, was used as from May 1952 for launching Veronique sounding rockets.

The development of the ballistic missiles intended for the deterrent power required, at the end of the Fifties, the installation of new test facilities. Owing to the political and military situation in Algeria, it was decided to arrange the Hammaguir station rather than to invest in a new test range which, in all probability, should be abandoned in the long term. Four bases were equipped in Hammaguir:
- Blandine and Bacchus, intended for liquid and solid propellants sounding rockets launches respectively,
- Beatrice, used for the Hawk Surface-to-Air missile tests and the Cora launches as part of the Europa program,
- Brigitte, assigned to the Precious Stones experimental rockets program, of which the Diamant space launcher.

The CIEES thus included, in the middle of the 1960s, two missiles tests polygons comprising a whole of four firing ranges (three in Hammaguir and one in B‚char) articulated around three control stations. The lst July 1967, the CIEES was evacuated and handed over to the Algerian authorities, as envisaged it the Evian agreements signed in March 1962.

Tables
a/ Launches from Hammaguir
b/ Launches from Colomb Bechar
c/ Launches from Reggane