Space Stats

The Hammaguir Test Centre was a French launch facility in western Algeria, near the disputed border with Morocco, operated by the French Interarmy Special Weapons Test Center (CIEES) from 1952 to 1967. On November 26, 1965, the spaceport launched Asterix, the first French satellite, marking the first successful orbital launch from outside the Soviet Union or the United States.

The spaceport at Hammaguir launched only four satellites into orbit during a brief period between 1965 and 1967. In each case, the satellites were placed in low-altitude orbits at inclinations similar to the latitude of the spaceport itself: 31.1°. These orbital regimes are accessible without any orbital maneuvers.

The facility was abandoned on July 1, 1967, in accordance with the Évian Accords, granting sovereignty to Algeria and the removal of French militaryforces from the region, including Hammaguir. Although NASA announced plans in 1963 for U.S. payloads to be launched from the Hammaguir spaceport, no launches have occurred since last French launch in 1967.

Spaceports of the World, Thomas G. Roberts