Alfa (rocket)

Alfa was the designation of an Italian solid propellant SLBM program. Starting as a development effort for a study on efficient solid-propellant rockets, the Alfa rocket was planned as two-stage rocket. It was never developed to completion, however test launches with upper stage mockup from Salto di Quirra took place between 1973 and 1975.

The Italian NPT ratification in 1975 effectively ended the project.

The Alfa was 6.5 meters long and had a diameter of 1.37 meters. The first stage of the Alfa was 3.85 m long and contained 6 t of solid rocket fuel. It supplied a thrust of 232 kN for a duration of 57 seconds.

• http://www.univ-perp.fr/fuseurop/alfa_e.htm
• http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/alfa.htm
• http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/mwade/lvs/alfa.htm