Editing Diamant (section)

===Emergence and success===
During 1959, the French government established the [[CNES|Comité de Recherches Spatiales]] (CRS), which would later be renamed as the [[CNES|Centre National d'Études Spatiales]] (CNES).<ref name = "ble gei hub 52"/> The newly formed CRS, initially chaired by the French physicist [[Pierre Victor Auger|Pierre Auger]], was tasked with the coordination of all French research efforts in the field of space. From an early stage, the organisation's primary goal was to pursue the development of an indigenous [[expendable launch system]] with which payloads, such as satellites, could be launched into [[orbit]].<ref name = "ble gei hub 52"/> The indigenous launcher, which was promptly named ''Diamant'', drew heavily from the military ballistic missile programmes which had preceded it; as such, much of the rocket's design was based upon these early missiles.<ref name = "ble gei hub 52"/>

On 26 November 1965, the first Diamant rocket was fired from its launch site, the [[CIEES]] testing range, at [[Hammaguir]], [[Béchar Province]], [[Algeria]].<ref name = "ble gei hub 52 1673">Bleeker, Geiss and Huber 2012, pp. 52, 1673.</ref> This [[maiden flight]] was deemed to be a success, achieving sufficient altitude and launching French's first satellite, a 42&nbsp;kg test vehicle known as [[Astérix (satellite)|Astérix]], into orbit; this feat has been viewed as cementing France as the third space power in the world, as well as affirming its independence and strategic capabilities. During 1966 and 1967, Diamant was used to launch three French-built scientific satellites.<ref name = "ble gei hub 52"/> On 9 April 1968, the [[Guiana Space Centre]], France's new national launching complex at [[Kourou]], [[French Guiana]], was officially declared to be operational; Diamant launches were subsequently shifted to this facility, along with various other missiles in use by France and, later on, other European nations as well.<ref name = "ble gei hub 52 105">Bleeker, Geiss and Huber 2012, pp. 52, 105.</ref>

On 10 March 1970, the first ''Diamant B'' rocket, an improved model of the launcher, was fired, carrying a pair of scientific satellites, named ''DIAL/MIKA'' and ''DIAL/WIKA'', into orbit.<ref name = "ble gei hub 52"/> Only one of the two satellites, which had been produced as a collaborative effort between France and Germany to study the [[Van Allen radiation belt]] around the Earth, survived the launch process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1970-017B| title=DIAL/MIKA - NSSDC ID: 1970-017B|publisher=NASA NSSDC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1970-017A|title=DIAL/WIKA - NSSDC ID: 1970-017A| publisher=NASA NSSDC}}</ref> Overall, the Diamant rocket came to be recognised as a successful and reliable launch vehicle, competitive amongst even the best of its international competitors throughout the world during its time.<ref name = "ble gei hub 93">Bleeker, Geiss and Huber 2012, p. 93.</ref>