here a Guest post by me with blessing of Geon.
it show what the french are doing with there war booty
The French Space program: part one
In 1945, France gain thirty seven V2 rockets and 123 German rocket scientist working on advance version of V2 (the A8)
the French authority send them first to Devil's Island, better know as worst prison in history, in French Guiana.
Here the authority gave the rocket scientist a choice, remaining the rest of there life in this hell on Earth or work for French.
Unanimous they take offer to work for France and so were put in camp of french Legion in French Guiana.
The Reason of France to go so radical in R&D of ballistic missile was simple: Fear
They had realistic reasoning that in year 1960 there would problem with a revive military Germany, France was invaded twice by Germany in the last 30 years.
while President De Gaulle defused this problem in Potsdam conference, became the USSR a menace to Europa, justifying the Program in French Senate.
In 1946 the Military created the CIEES (Center interarmées d'Ètudes d'Engins Speacaux = Center for Inter Military Space Rocket Studies)
and thé LRBA (Laboratoire de recherches balistiques et aérodynamique = Laboratory Research for Ballistic and Aerodynamic )
There goal Copy the V2 and develop Super-V2 a new French ballistic missile for R-1 short , R-2 medium and R-2M intermedia range on base of german A8 study.
Next to that start pure french program EOLE as backup for Super-V2
Also the Installation of Special weapons test center in French Guiana, near Devil's Island, south of town of Tonate, today know as CIEES Space Port.
In 1950 the first french V2 is launch, deployment of mobil launch commandos of Force de frappe (strike force)
1952 the EOLE makes it first test launch, but the Lox Kerosene rocket explode on test site, killing several engineer, including his designer Jean-Jacques Barré.
The CIEES stop the EOLE program and reevaluation of Super-V2 program, with the decision to use only storable fuel on Super-V2.
while the R1 demonstrator Véronique made successful first flight.
In 1954 the first R-1 make it's successful test launch, the next year the R-1 replace the V2 copy now used as sounding rocket in CIEES Space Port.
With R1 the French has the first truly operational military rocket, equip with deathly GX3 radioactive gas warhead.
During 1956 first two stage flight of V2/Véronique to test stage separation, also launch of V2 with Solid booster as test for R-2M.
from 1957 to 1958 the R-2 has major setback with new turbo pump engine burn unstably, also problem solid Booster as on first test launch they keep stuck on the R-2 rocket.
But another program came after 12 year to it achievement, France detonate it's First Atomic Bomb in the Sahara.
Then in 1959 the R-2M made it successful launch, it's two solid booster catapult the R-2 to 50 km hight, were it ignite and 30 minute later it impacted planned near Cap Verde islands.
But this success was Shadow by USA launch of First satellite "Vanguard 1" by Atlas ICBM.
President De Gaulle order the launch of a French Satellite, in record time of 10 months, CIEES manage to build and launch it.
on July 14, 1960 a modified R-2M with Véronique as upper stage bringing the Satellite "Le petit prince" (the Little Prince) into orbit.
So France became the second Space Nation, even wen the US press make fun of the little satellite as a "the french launch a camembert" or misspell CIEES as Cheese.
After reading the international press in his garden, President de Gaulle look angered upward into sky, he notice the Moon, then he went fast to the telephone calling the head of CIEES…
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