View source for CERES Ile du Levant

{{Short description|French suborbital rocket launch site}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name          = CERES Ile du Levant
| nativename    = Centre d'Essais et de Recherches d'Engins Spéciaux
| image         = Ile du Levant.jpg
| type          = rocket launch site
| operator      = [[ONERA]], [[CNES]], [[European Space Research Organisation|ESRO]]
| location      = [[Levant Island|Ile du Levant]]
| built         =
| used          = 1956 to 1968
| commander     =
| occupants     =
| elevation-f   =
| elevation-m   =
| coordinates   = {{coord|43.05|6.48|type:landmark_region:AR_dim:2000|display=inline,title}}
| website       =
| r1-number     =
| r1-length-f   =
| r1-length-m   =
| r1-surface    =
| footnotes     =
| caption       = Open Street Map from the Marble program of the Ile du Levant, a French Military base. The red areas are the "military" parts of the island.
| pushpin_map   = France
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[France]]
}}
[[File:Île du Levant, Var, France - maquette 1980.jpg|thumb|Île du Levant (1980 model)]]
'''CERES''' ("'''Centre d'Essais et de Recherches d'Engins Spéciaux'''" for "'''''Special Weapons Research and Tests Center"''''') '''Ile du Levant''' was a French [[suborbital rocket]] launch site, located at [[Levant Island|Ile du Levant]], and active between 1956 and 1968.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2007-01-06 |title=Ile du Levant and Biscarosse |url=http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/cemcel_e.htm#L_idl |access-date=2023-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106052852/http://fuseurop.univ-perp.fr/cemcel_e.htm#L_idl |archive-date=2007-01-06 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Ile du Levant |url=http://www.astronautix.com/i/iledulevant.html |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=www.astronautix.com}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=HODIE |title=AN ISLAND VOCABULARY 9/50 - C.E.R.E.S. |url=http://www.iledulevanthodie.fr/-31 |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=île du levant - domaine naturiste d'héliopolis, cité du soleil |language=fr}}</ref> CERES played a pivotal role in testing a wide array of tactical missiles used in France, as well as conducting tests for [[sounding rocket]]s on behalf of [[CNES]] and [[European Space Research Organisation|ESRO]]. Additionally, the center was involved in experiments with [[ONERA]] and [[Société d'étude et de réalisation d'engins balistiques|SEREB]] experimental vehicles, solidifying its significance in the realm of missile research and testing.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Les fusées sondes |url=http://www.capcomespace.net/dossiers/espace_europeen/espace_francais/fusees_sondes.htm |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=www.capcomespace.net}}</ref>
== History ==
In the early 1950s, a military missile test site was established at the French naval base on the Ile du Levant, an offshore island in the Mediterranean near [[Toulon]]. Known as CERES, it replaced a beach site at [[Pampelonne]] used for launches since 1948.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
This facility served as a Naval Air Force base throughout the 1950s, testing missiles not only for the Navy but also for other branches of the armed forces. On September 1, 1968, it merged with other institutions for form CEM (''Centre d'Essais de la Méditerranée'' or ''Mediterranean Test Center'').<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
== Launches ==
More than one hundred vehicles were launched from Ile du Levant, including sounding rockets such as [[Monica (rocket)|Monica]], [[Daniel (rocket)|Daniel]], [[Antarès (OPd-56-39-22D)|Antarès]], [[Bélier (rocket)|Bélier]], [[Agate (rocket)|Agate]], [[Centaure (rocket)|Centaure]], [[Bérénice (rocket)|Bérénice]], Belenos, [[LEX (sounding rocket)|LEX]], MD-620, [[Tacite (rocket)|Tacite]], MSBS M112, MSBS M011, [[Dauphin (rocket)|Dauphin]], Belisama, Epona and Grannos.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" />
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Sounding rockets launched by year from Ile du Levant<ref name=":0" />
!Year
!Detail
|-
|1959
|3 [[Antarès (OPd-56-39-22D)|Antarès]], 1 [[Daniel (rocket)|Daniel]]
|-
|1960
|6 Antarès
|-
|1961
|3 Antarès, 2 Daniel
|-
|1962
|5 [[Bélier (rocket)|Bélier]], 4 [[Bérénice (rocket)|Bérénice]], 7 [[Centaure (rocket)|Centaure]]
|-
|1963
|2 [[Agate (rocket)|Agate]], 1 Bélier, 2 Bérénice, 1 Centaure
|-
|1964
|2 Agate, 1 Bélier, 4 Bérénice, 3 Centaure, 1 [[LEX (sounding rocket)|LEX]]
|-
|1965
|1 Bérénice, 5 Centaure, 3 LEX, 1 [[Tacite (rocket)|Tacite]]
|-
|1966
|1 Bérénice
|-
|1967
|1 [[Dauphin (rocket)|Dauphin]], 4 LEX, 1 Tacite
|-
|1968
|2 Tacite
|-
|1969
|2 Centaure
|}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{improve categories|date=November 2023}}
[[Category:Space program of France]]
[[Category:Rocket launch sites in France]]
[[Category:Military installations of France]]
[[Category:Spaceports in Europe]]