Saphir (rocket)

Saphir (French, meaning sapphire) was a French sounding rocket. The Saphir was used between 1965 and 1967 and had a payload capacity of 365 kilograms (805 lb). The rocket could reach a maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), produced thrust of 280 kilonewtons (63,000 lb_f) at launch. The Saphir had a launch mass of 18,058 kilograms (39,811 lb), a diameter of 1.40 metres (4 ft 7 in) and a length of 17.77 metres (58.3 ft).

The Diamant rocket, which carried the first French satellite into orbit, was developed from the Saphir with the addition of a third stage.