: gemstones) program, that included five prototypes Agathe, Topaze, Emeraude, Rubis and Saphir,[2] leading up to the Diamant orbital rocket.

The rocket could reach a maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) and produced thrust of 280 kilonewtons (63,000 lbf) at launch.

[3][4] The Diamant rocket, which carried the first French satellite, Asterix-1, into orbit, was developed from the Saphir with the addition of a third stage.

After the successful launch of Diamant, Saphir rockets were used to test technologies for France's burgeoning intercontinental ballistic missile development—as mentioned before, radio and inertial guidance, warhead separation, and ablative heat shielding of a re-entry vehicle.

[3][4] Saphir was launched 15 times from CIEES, Hammaguir, from July 5, 1965, to January 27, 1967.