Flight History
The engines were tested extensively on ground rigs, on both German and African test sites. Experiments were run with varying fuel and oxidizer formulations, as the general design was quite robust.
Small, 4-unit vehicles were built and tested in Shaba North, Zaire and Seba Oasis, Libya, where heights of 20 to 50 kilometers were reached. The rockets used there were 6 and 12 meters long. The basic CRPU concept was shown to be workable, though some rockets experienced guidance or component failures. The last launch of an OTRAG rocket took place on September 19, 1983 in Esrange. Following this launch, the OTRAG rocket was to be used in high altitude research.
Political pressure then shut down the project, as discussed in the OTRAG article.
After the company had left Libya in 1987, some remaining equipment was confiscated by the government. However, enough parts and knowledge were missing to prevent Libya from continuing the project.
Read more about this topic: OTRAG (rocket)
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