National Center of Space ResearchDiamant BDiamant Launch Area, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Tournesol
Launched
April 15, 1971
Image: CNES
Summary
Tournesol launched on a National Center of Space Research Diamant B from Diamant Launch Area, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on April 15, 1971. It was National Center of Space Research's 8th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 1,205th orbital launch attempt. It was the 3rd Diamant B flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Tournesol, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 466 × 705 km orbit inclined 46.4°. 8 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Diamant B · National Center of Space Research
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Astrophysics · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 3rd Diamant B flight · 1st this yearNational Center of Space Research's 8th launch1st this yearhumanity's 1,205th orbital launch attempt34th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Tournesol · NORAD 5128 · 1971-030 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 8 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TOURNESOL
- Object ID
- 1971-030A
- Epoch
- 1971-04-15 12:25:12 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.96399784 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0171889
- Inclination
- 46.3704°
- Ascending node
- 283.2509°
- Arg. of perigee
- 43.0661°
- Mean anomaly
- 318.3499°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 2
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
8 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 6 components; none still in orbit
- Tournesol · NORAD 5128 · re-entered January 28, 1980
Diamant B No. 3 Stage 3 · re-entered July 9, 1979
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
French satellite designed to detect the presence of hydrogen in several directions of the celestial sphere.
Pad
Diamant Launch Area, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
3rd launch from Diamant Launch Area, 1st this year · 3rd from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
8 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
123 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Questions
When did Tournesol launch?
Tournesol launched on April 15, 1971. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Tournesol?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Tournesol?
Diamant B, flown by National Center of Space Research. Diamant B spec sheet
Where did Tournesol launch from?
Diamant Launch Area, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
What orbit did Tournesol reach?
Tournesol, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 466 × 705 km orbit inclined 46.4°.
How many satellites did Tournesol launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).