27:
1628:
375:, and finally the flight of the fully-assembled rocket itself. The first test launch of Capricornio, which was at one point scheduled to take place sometime in 1999, was never conducted as the programme was put on hold one year prior. The Capricornio program was formally cancelled during 2000 amid alleged foreign political pressure, competition from other launchers, and INTA's desire to focus on other endeavours.
387:(INTA) during 1990. The initiative built on ideas that the company had been considering as early as 1961. Multiple different configurations were examined prior to the selection of a three-stage launch vehicle. This vehicle, weighing 14,000 kg and standing at a height of 11 meters, was deemed sufficient for the launching of
476:
However, Capricornio would never actually fly. Development of the launcher had been formally suspended during 1998, one year prior to the planned launch; one claimed reason for this outcome was that INTA had decided to redirect its resources into other endeavours. The development of
Capricornio had
460:
The third phase of the
Capricornio programme involved all the work necessary to achieve the first launch of the complete Capricornio rocket. At one point, it had been intended for this first flight to be conducted from El Hierro. Capricornio was reportedly scheduled to take flight sometime in late
429:
missile. Spain was heavily involved in the destruction of these missiles, and it was speculated that this arrangement led to Spain obtaining their guidance apparatus; however, Argentinian officials disputed these claims, stating that the guidance systems had been removed prior to even arriving in
452:
was to supply the Castor 4B solid rocket motor that would power the first stage of
Capricornio. For the second phase of the programme, it was intended to use both the second and third stages of Capricornio as the
337:
Work on
Capricornio started in 1990, INTA choosing to pursue a three-stage configuration. In concept, the launcher was to be a low-cost solution capable of placing up to 70 kg payloads, such as
477:
been opposed by the United States, and thus it is suspected that the programme had been shelved for political reasons. The aerospace author Brian Harvey, speculated the competition from
1146:
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372:
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742:"Thiokol to Supply Rocket Boosters for Spain's Capricornio Launch Vehicle New Three-Stage Booster Under Development for Small Payloads - Free Online Library"
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The first phase of activity on the
Capricornio programme centred upon the development of solid motors, which included the use of both the
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The programme was supported by several parallel endeavours by INTA. One such effort, for which INTA collaborated with both the
493:
Three-stage solid propellant launcher. Overall length of 18.25 m, body diameter of 1.0 m and weighs 15,035 kg at launch.
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399:, intending for the launcher to be operated as a purely civilian initiative that would be operated on a commercial basis.
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There were allegations that aspects of
Capricornio's design, such as its guidance system, had been derived from
548:
419:
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1285:
418:. The Capricornio programme encountered some controversy over allegations that it could be adapted into a
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410:, examined the prospective development of a suitable launch range for small satellite launchers in the
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test range in southern Spain. During June 1997, it was announced that the
American manufacturer
1489:
915:
841:
Hyder, Anthony K.; Luessen, Lawrence H.; Gerity, Peter F.; Dundervill, Robert F., eds. (1997).
422:
and used for military purposes; furthermore, that the rocket had incorporated elements of the
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509:
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The
Capricornio programme involved three phases, starting with the development of suitable
195:
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8:
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Studies into what would later become
Capricornio commenced at the Spanish aerospace firm
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473:(Polytechnic University of Madrid and other universities in Mexico and Argentina).
441:
395:(LEO). Throughout the 1990s, INTA worked on the programme, which received the name
1363:
371:, progressing to the use of Capricornio's second and third stages together as the
26:
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38:
539: – Suborbital recoverable launch vehicle of the Spanish company PLD Space
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from which it envisioned
Capricornio being launched on a commercial basis.
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1999 or 2000, and was to have carried a pair of small satellites:
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536:
498:
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647:
Dorado, José M.; Bautista, Manuel; Sanz-Aránguez, Pedro (2002).
1022:
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334:) in the 1990s. It was intended to be Spain's first launcher.
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1395:
1119:
697:"ManifestaciĂłn en Hierro contra un proyecto de base espacial"
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505:
199:
485:
launcher had made the role of Capricornio less clear.
1616:
816:
B14643 Internet Presentation to Space Launch Vehicles
622:
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601:
599:
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595:
1393:
626:
Hyder, Luessen, Gerity and Dundervill 1997, p. 201.
607:"Thiokol to power Spain's first satellite launcher"
345:, or alternatively 60 to 140 kg payloads into
724:"El Hierro vuelve a ser objetivo de una lanzadera"
613:
592:
571:
569:
1640:
349:. In conjunction, INTA sought to establish the
566:
1379:
900:
722:AsociaciĂłn ecologista Ossinisa (2015-12-29).
1654:Instituto Nacional de TĂ©cnica Aeroespacial
1386:
1372:
1291:Instituto Nacional de TĂ©cnica Aeroespacial
914:
907:
893:
385:Instituto Nacional de TĂ©cnica Aeroespacial
327:Instituto Nacional de TĂ©cnica Aeroespacial
49:Instituto Nacional de TĂ©cnica Aeroespacial
25:
1239:Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex
642:
640:
638:
636:
634:
632:
767:Serra, Jean-Jacques (19 October 1998).
1641:
865:
1367:
888:
805:
803:
766:
629:
1270:PLD Space Propulsion Test Facilities
575:
1591:Liquid Fly-back Booster Derivatives
13:
809:
800:
14:
1675:
609:. flightglobal.com. 17 June 1997.
1626:
488:
467:Polytechnic University of Madrid
406:and the American aerospace firm
391:weighing between 50-100 kg into
1664:Space launch vehicles of Europe
1659:Expendable space launch systems
834:
88:15,035 kg (33,147 lb)
1649:Space launch vehicles of Spain
791:
760:
734:
715:
703:(in Spanish). 30 December 1996
689:
549:List of orbital launch systems
420:medium-range ballistic missile
378:
16:Spanish orbital launch vehicle
1:
844:Defense Conversion Strategies
554:
271:50.29 kN (11,310 lb
225:167.9 kN (37,700 lb
1296:Spanish Astrobiology Center‎
559:
7:
530:
522:Stage 3 contained a single
515:Stage 2 contained a single
497:Stage 1 contained a single
175:429 kN (96,000 lb
72:18.25 m (59.9 ft)
10:
1680:
510:composite solid propellant
80:1.00 m (3.28 ft)
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1305:Commercial space industry
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1286:Agencia Espacial Española
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1216:Tracking and launch sites
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1068:Science & technology
868:Europe's Space Programme
416:El Hierro Launch Centre
351:El Hierro Launch Centre
916:Space program of Spain
866:Harvey, Brian (2003).
206:Second stage – Deneb-F
769:"Capricornio project"
658:European Space Agency
360:missile developed by
252:Third stage – Mizar-B
797:Harvey 2003, p. 143.
455:Argo sounding rocket
373:Argo sounding rocket
1254:Villafranca Station
728:eldigitaldecanarias
576:Wade, Mark (2019).
414:, now known as the
341:, into 600 km
21:
1244:Maspalomas Station
746:Thefreelibrary.com
504:rocket motor with
465:(developed by the
364:during the 1980s.
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810:BrĂĽgge, Norbert.
773:Rockets in Europe
324:developed by the
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56:Country of origin
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775:. Archived from
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748:. 16 June 1997
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650:Spain in Space
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812:"Capricornio"
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779:on 2022-11-30
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730:(in Spanish).
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820:. Retrieved
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781:. Retrieved
777:the original
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679:. Retrieved
649:
581:
578:"Capricorno"
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343:polar orbits
336:
331:
325:
314:
313:
139:Launch sites
45:Manufacturer
1633:Spaceflight
1596:BAC Mustard
1561:Capricornio
1553:Ariane 5 ME
1522:Black Arrow
1434:Ariane Next
1353:Pedro Duque
1188:Capricornio
948:Spainsat NG
939:/ XTAR-LANT
818:. B14643.de
707:5 September
479:Arianespace
424:Argentinian
397:Capricornio
379:Development
315:Capricornio
106:Payload to
20:Capricornio
1643:Categories
1459:North Star
1346:Astronauts
1327:Alén Space
1235:(proposed)
1140:Suborbital
1080:Minisat 01
923:Satellites
822:22 October
681:22 October
555:References
463:Nanosat 01
288:Propellant
257:Powered by
242:Propellant
211:Powered by
192:Propellant
161:Powered by
1548:Aldebaran
1541:Cancelled
1394:European
1312:PLD Space
1233:El Hierro
952:Amazonas
783:20 August
752:20 August
676:1683-4704
560:Citations
502:Castor 4B
444:from the
362:Argentina
319:satellite
280:Burn time
234:Burn time
184:Burn time
155:Castor 4B
143:El Hierro
101:Capacity
1557:Ariane M
1474:Spectrum
1449:Haas 2CA
1439:Bloostar
1413:Ariane 6
1337:Hisdesat
1332:Hispasat
1193:Bloostar
1115:Xatcobeo
1099:UPM-Sat
1084:Nanosat
986:Hispasat
943:XTAR-EUR
937:Spainsat
849:Springer
531:See also
439:INTA-300
435:INTA-100
283:33.8 sec
237:35.6 sec
134:Canceled
77:Diameter
37:Orbital
34:Function
1586:Liberty
1527:Diamant
1483:Retired
1464:RFA One
1454:Miura 5
1444:Haas 2b
1396:orbital
1198:Miura 5
1181:Orbital
1172:Miura 1
1133:Rockets
1075:Intasat
1059:Ingenio
1038:Deimos
701:El PaĂs
543:Miura 5
537:Miura 1
524:Mizar-B
517:Deneb-F
508:-based
499:Thiokol
450:Thiokol
430:Spain.
1619:Portal
1571:Hopper
1532:Europa
1490:Ariane
1469:Skylon
1406:Active
1023:Lume-1
874:
855:
674:
664:
469:) and
427:Condor
358:Condor
187:61 sec
131:Status
93:Stages
69:Height
51:(INTA)
1601:OTRAG
1576:HOTOL
1151:INTA
1120:OPTOS
654:(PDF)
471:Venus
303:[
292:Solid
262:Solid
246:Solid
216:Solid
166:Solid
59:Spain
1606:SOAR
1566:Haas
1418:Vega
1203:Meso
1147:Argo
872:ISBN
853:ISBN
824:2013
785:2012
754:2012
709:2019
683:2013
672:ISSN
662:ISBN
506:HTPB
483:Vega
437:and
404:INSA
332:INTA
200:HTPB
114:Mass
85:Mass
64:Size
1165:300
1160:255
1155:100
1054:Paz
1011:AG1
481:'s
108:LEO
1645::
1093:1B
1016:1F
1006:1D
1001:1C
996:1B
991:1A
971:4A
851:.
814:.
802:^
771:.
744:.
726:.
699:.
670:.
656:.
631:^
615:^
594:^
584:.
580:.
568:^
260:1
214:1
198:/
196:AP
164:1
1621::
1515:5
1510:4
1505:3
1500:2
1495:1
1387:e
1380:t
1373:v
1108:2
1103:1
1088:1
1047:2
1042:1
979:5
966:3
961:2
956:1
908:e
901:t
894:v
880:.
861:.
826:.
787:.
756:.
711:.
685:.
588:.
512:.
330:(
307:]
275:)
273:f
229:)
227:f
179:)
177:f
96:3
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