Topaze (rocket)

Topaze, officially the Véhicule Expérimental 111, was a French sounding rocket and the first guidable one the country flew. Several French companies, notably Nord Aviation and Sud Aviation, developed it, and SEREB, their joint venture that later became part of Aérospatiale, built it. It was one of the Pierres précieuses (gemstones) prototypes, with Agathe, Emeraude, Rubis and Saphir, that led to the Diamant orbital rocket. Its designation records a single stage with solid propulsion and guidance. Three versions flew: the VE111 with a 410 kilogram payload and a mass of 2,900 kilograms, the longer VE111L with a 360 kilogram payload reaching up to 110 kilometres, and the VE111LG. It was launched 14 times by ONERA from the CIEES range at Hammaguir in Algeria between 1962 and 1965, and its stage was reused as the second stage of Diamant and of Saphir.