Tacite (rocket)

The inaugural member of ONERA sounding rockets fleet, the Tacite (Tentative d'Analyse du Contraste Infrarouge Terre-Espace, for Attempt to Analyze the Earth-Space Infrared Contrast), was a single-stage vehicle, used between 1965 and 1968.

[1][2][3][4] Designed and developed by the Office national d'études et de recherches aérospatiales (ONERA), it was a single-stage vehicle equipped with a SEPR 739-2' Stromboli engine fueled by Plastoline' propellant, offering a propulsion duration of 20 seconds.

[1][3][4] The rocket incorporates small nitrogen ejection nozzles to induce rotation and employs aerodynamic stabilization by a cruciform tailfin.

[1][3][2] With a total mass of 1738 kg (excluding the useful tip), Tacite reached a height of nearly 8 meters.

[1][3] Operational between 1965 and 1968, this rocket underwent four launches, experiencing one failure.

Tacite french sounding rocket.
Tacite sounding rocket scheme.
Tacite (fifth rocket) as part of the Onera sounding rocket family.