Other Names: Arniston (CIA designated name)
Address: Private Bag X12, Bredasdrop 7280, Republic of South Africa
Location: 34° 40'S 20° 14 E, southeastern coast of Western Cape
Phone Number: 27 2847 59010
Size: Ground area: 43000ha
Flight area: 240km x 55km, no height limitations
Sea coverage: 70km x 30km
Primary function: Flight tests on sophisticated missile and aviation systems; qualified to provide launch services for LEO satellites.
Description: Similar in layout to the Israeli test facility at Palmachin, the Overberg test range was used for the launch of the South African version of the Jericho II missile that took place on 5 July 1989. Two similar tests reportedly took place in 1990 and 1991, although the South African government denied these claims. In addition, Israel allegedly used the facility three times during the late 1980s to test its own Jericho II missiles.
The Overberg Test Range (OTR) was developed by Houwteq as part of South Africa's ballistic missile and space program. It is located near Bredasdorp, 200km east of Cape Town, on the southeastern coast of the Western Cape. The facility has a total area of 43,000 hectares. The launch sites were located on the coast just northeast of Waenhuiskrans, while the launch vehicle and payload assembly facilities were located at an adjacent air base. The OTR site also included tracking stations, thermal vacuum chambers for equipment testing, insulated hangars for firing tests, computer facilities, and the necessary equipment for integration of low-orbit satellite launch.
Key sources:
William E. Burrows and Robert Windrem, Critical Mass: The Dangerous Race for Superpowers in a Fragmented World (New York: Schuster & Schuster, 1994), p. 448; John Pike, "Overberg Test Range Arniston South Africa," 29 May 2000, Federation of American Scientists, <http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/rsa/facility/overberg.htm>; Astronautix.com, "Overberg," <http://www.astronautix.com/sites/overberg.htm>.
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Updated May 2003 |
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