Investor Brief
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.
Ownership
Parent Entity
Latitude Advantage
Country
🇩🇿Algeria
Region
Africa
Established
1,947
Launches / Year
0
Years Active
79
Strategic Position
30.8700° N, 3.0500° W
30.87°N — comparable to Cape Canaveral; primary historical disadvantage was political (lease expiration), not orbital mechanics
About
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.
Key Features
Made France the world's third spacefaring nation (Astérix, Nov 1965)
Operated 1947-1967 as French military rocket and orbital test range
Hosted Véronique, Vesta sounding rockets and early Diamant orbital launches
Closure under 1967 Évian Accords directly motivated the move to Kourou
Site is the historical predecessor of the Guiana Space Centre
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
Astérix (Nov 26, 1965) — France's first satellite, on Diamant A; made France the 3rd spacefaring nation
FR-1 (Dec 1965) — French-American ionospheric research satellite
Diapason / D-1A (Feb 1966) — Second French satellite
Diadème 1 (Feb 1967) — Geodesic satellite, last orbital launch from Hammaguir
Numerous Véronique and Vesta sounding rocket flights 1950s-1960s