Al-Abid

The Al-Abid (Arabic: العابد) LV was an Iraqi three-stage "Satellite launch system", a civilian project that was commenced in 1988. The Iraqis intended to launch an Al-Ta'ir satellite with the help of such a launch vehicle. The Iraqis therefore pursued a LV with stages based on Scud missiles and the S-75 Dvina. However, only the first stage could be tested in December 1989 and according to General Ra'ad the next stages could not be developed. General Ra'ad says that not even the drawings of the second and third stage vehicles are available and that no final report could be produced. UN inspectors and U.S intelligence did not offer many details regarding the Al-Abid launch vehicle as they were not interested in it.

Al-Abid
Photograpgh of Al-Abid from an unclassified United Nations report
FunctionLaunch vehicle
ManufacturerMIMI (Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialization)
SRC (Space research Centre)
Country of origin Iraq
Size
Height25 m
Diameter0.88 m(First stage)
1.25 m(Second stage)
Mass48,000 kg
Stages3 stages
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass100-300 kg into 200-500 km orbit(Planned)
Launch history
StatusAbandoned
Launch sites230 km south of Baghdad in al Anbar
Total launches1
First flight5 December 1989 (First stage only)
First stage
Diameter0.88 m
Gross mass48,000 kg
Propellant mass26,020 kg
Powered byIsayev S5.2 (9D21)
Maximum thrustsea-level:660.7 kN
vacuum:731.6 kN
70,000 kgf (690 kN)
Specific impulsesea-level:2,285 metres per second (233.0 s)
vacuum:2,530 metres per second (258 s)
Burn time90 s
PropellantIRFNA/UDMH
Second stage
Diameter1.25 m
Propellant mass3,760 kg
Powered byIsayev S5.2 (9D21)
Maximum thrustvacuum:146.3 kN
Specific impulsevacuum:2,530 metres per second (258 s)
Burn time65 s
PropellantDETA/UDMH
Third stage
Diameter1.25 m
Powered bySA-2 motor
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