Mélanie (rocket)

Mélanie is a French solid rocket motor, 16 cm in diameter, initially used as first stage of the Monica rocket.{{Cite book |title=Les débuts de la recherche spatiale française |publisher=IFHE - Institut Français d'Histoire de l'Espace |year=2007 |isbn=978-2-846-08215-0 |chapter=Caractéristiques des fusées météo à propulsion solide et propulsion hybride.... Mélanie}}{{Cite web |date=2012-11-14 |title=The Monica rockets |url=http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/monica_e.htm |access-date=2023-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114060300/http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/monica_e.htm |archive-date=2012-11-14 }}{{Cite web |date=2012-11-14 |title=ONERA rockets |url=http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/onera_e.htm |access-date=2023-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114060454/http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/onera_e.htm |archive-date=2012-11-14 }}

There are two versions, Mélanie and "2Mélanie" (exact name unknown) :{{cite web |last1=Jacques Serra |first1=Jean |title=The Monica rockets |url=http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/monica_e.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114060300/http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/monica_e.htm |archive-date=14 November 2012 |accessdate=27 April 2018 |website=Rockets in Europe}}

class="wikitable sortable" !Stage / Engine !Length (mm) !Diameter (mm) !Propellant mass (kg) !Total impulse (daNs) !Burning time (s)

Melanie |1065 |160 |15 |3100 |5

"2Melanie" |2170 |160 |30 |6200 |5

The first version was used on Monica I, II and IVA; while the improved "2Melanie", with twice the propellant, was used on Monica III, IVB and V.

Melanie was later used in several ATEF and ONERA rockets.{{Cite web |title=Melanie |url=http://www.astronautix.com/m/melanie.html |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=www.astronautix.com}} In the ONERA rockets, such as Daniel, Antarès and Berenice, Melanie was placed inside a 22 cm diameter cylindrical housing. This version delivered a total impulse of 48 kN.s with about 22 kilograms of propellant.