CIEES (Centre Interarmées d'Essais d'Engins Spéciaux), France (historical) · Béchar Province, Algerian Sahara, Algeria
Launch Pads
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Annual Launches
0
Max Payload (LEO)
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Established
1947
Hammaguir was the French military launch and rocket test range in the Algerian Sahara that made France the world's third spacefaring nation when it launched its first satellite, Astérix, on a Diamant A rocket from the site on November 26, 1965 — placing France immediately after the Soviet Union and the United States in the orbital club. The site was operated by CIEES (Centre Interarmées d'Essais d'Engins Spéciaux) and supported sounding rocket programs (Véronique, Vesta) as well as the early Diamant orbital launches. Following the 1962 Évian Accords ending the Algerian War, France was permitted to retain the facility temporarily, but the lease expired in 1967 and France transferred its launch operations to the new Guiana Space Centre at Kourou — directly shaping the modern European space-launch infrastructure.
| Region | Africa |
| Country | 🇩🇿 Algeria |
| Coordinates | 30.8700° N, -3.0500° E |
| Ownership | Military |
| Parent Entity | French Ministry of the Armies — historical operator |
| Latitude Advantage | 30.87°N — comparable to Cape Canaveral; primary historical disadvantage was political (lease expiration), not orbital mechanics |
Active Users
Strategic Value
Historical landmark only — site that made France a spacefaring nation. Its closure forced the move to Kourou, which became the most equatorially favorable national spaceport in operation.