Hammaguir

Hammaguir is a city in Algeria, around 120 km south-west from Bechar (formerly Colomb Bechar - ). Near Hammaguir four satellites was from 1947 to 1967 a rocket launch site of the French Centre Interarmées d' Essais d' engins spéciaux from which besides rockets and sounding rockets in the years 1965 and 1967 with the French carrier rocket " diamond " successfully in the orbit were launched, including Astérix, the first French satellite.

The rocket launch site could be used by the Treaties of Evian after the independence of Algeria from March 19th 1962 for another 5 years in France.