Al-Abid

{{short description|Iraqi civilian rocket project}} {{Infobox rocket

|logo =  |logo_upright =  |image = |caption = Photograph of Al-Abid from an unclassified United Nations report

|name =Al-Abid |function =Launch vehicle<ref name="DE">{{cite web|url=https://b14643.eu/Spacerockets_1/Rest_World/Al_Abid/Description/Frame.htm|title=Al-Abid LV|website=Norbert Brügge, Germany|first=Norbert|last=Brügge|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916100612/http://www.b14643.de/Spacerockets_1/Rest_World/Al_Abid/Description/Frame.htm|archive-date=16 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="FAS">{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/nuke/guide/iraq/missile/al-abid.htm|title=al-Abid-Iraq Special Weapons|website=Federation of American Scientists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711031357/https://fas.org/nuke/guide/iraq/missile/al-abid.htm|archive-date=11 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="TSR1">{{cite web|url=https://thespacereview.com/article/1839/1|title=Iraqi bird: Beyond Saddam's space program|website=The Space Review|first=Dwayne|last=Day|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024163047/http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1839/1|archive-date=24 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="TSR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1498/1|title=Saddam's space program|website=The Space Review|first=Dwayne|last=Day|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110113814/http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1498/1|archive-date=10 November 2019}}</ref> <ref name="TSR3">{{cite web |url=https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4514/1 |title=From the sand to the stars: Saddam Hussein's failed space program |website=The Space Review |first=Dwayne A. |last=Day |date=January 16, 2023 }}</ref> |manufacturer =MIMI (Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialization)<ref name="DE"/> SRC (Space research Centre)<ref name="DE"/> |country-origin ={{IRQ}}<ref name="DE">{{cite web|url=https://b14643.eu/Spacerockets_1/Rest_World/Al_Abid/Description/Frame.htm|title=Al-Abid LV|website=Norbert Brügge, Germany|first=Norbert|last=Brügge|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916100612/http://www.b14643.de/Spacerockets_1/Rest_World/Al_Abid/Description/Frame.htm|archive-date=16 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="FAS">{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/nuke/guide/iraq/missile/al-abid.htm|title=al-Abid-Iraq Special Weapons|website=Federation of American Scientists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711031357/https://fas.org/nuke/guide/iraq/missile/al-abid.htm|archive-date=11 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="TSR1">{{cite web|url=https://thespacereview.com/article/1839/1|title=Iraqi bird: Beyond Saddam's space program|website=The Space Review|first=Dwayne|last=Day|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024163047/http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1839/1|archive-date=24 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="TSR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1498/1|title=Saddam's space program|website=The Space Review|first=Dwayne|last=Day|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110113814/http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1498/1|archive-date=10 November 2019}}</ref>

|pcost = |cpl = |alt-cpl = |cpl-year =

|capacities =  {{Infobox rocket/payload |location =LEO<ref name="DE"/><ref name="FAS"/> |kilos =100-300 kg<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR1"/> into 200-500 km orbit(Planned)<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR1"/> }}

|family =  |derivatives =  |comparable =

|status =Abandoned<ref name="TSR2"/> |sites =230 km south of Baghdad<ref name="FAS"/> in al Anbar<ref name="DE"/> |launches =1<ref name="FAS"/> |success =  |fail =  |partial =  |other_outcome =  |landings =  |first =5 December 1989 (First stage only)<ref name="DE"/><ref name="FAS"/><ref name="TSR1"/><ref name="TSR2"/> |last =  |only =  |payloads =

|stagedata =

{{Infobox rocket/stage |type =Stage 1 |diff = |stageno = First |name =  |number =5<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> |length =  |diameter =0.88 m<ref name="TSR2"/> |width =  |empty =  |gross =48,000 kg<ref name="FAS"/> |propmass =26,020 kg<ref name="DE"/> |engines =Isayev S5.2 (9D21)<ref name="DE"/> |solid =  |thrust ='''sea-level''':660.7 kN<ref name="DE"/> '''vacuum''':731.6 kN<ref name="DE"/> {{cvt|70,000|kgf|kN}}<ref name="FAS"/> |total = |SI ='''sea-level''':{{convert|2285|m/s|isp}}<ref name="DE"/> '''vacuum''':{{convert|2530|m/s|isp}}<ref name="DE"/> |burntime =90 s<ref name="DE"/> |fuel =IRFNA/UDMH<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/r-11.htm|title=R-11/SS-1B SCUD-A R-300 9K72 Elbrus/SS-1C SCUD-B|accessdate=2008-02-21|date=September 9, 2000|publisher=Federation of American Scientists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307011309/http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/r-11.htm|archive-date=March 7, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> }} {{Infobox rocket/stage |type =stage |diff =  |stageno =Second |name =  |number =1<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> |length =  |diameter =1.25 m<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> |width =  |empty =  |gross =  |propmass =3,760 kg<ref name="DE"/> |engines =Isayev S5.2 (9D21)<ref name="DE"/> |solid =  |thrust ='''vacuum''':146.3 kN<ref name="DE"/> |total = |SI ='''vacuum''':{{convert|2530|m/s|isp}}<ref name="DE"/> |burntime =65 s<ref name="DE"/> |fuel =DETA/UDMH<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> }} {{Infobox rocket/stage |type =stage |diff =  |stageno =Third |name =  |number =  |length =  |diameter =1.25 m<ref name="TSR1"/> |width =  |empty =  |gross =  |propmass =  |engines =SA-2 motor<ref name="FAS"/> |solid =  |thrust =  |total =  |SI =  |burntime =  |fuel =  }} }}

The '''Al-Abid''' ({{langx|ar|العابد}}) LV was an Iraqi three-stage '''"Satellite launch system"''', a civilian project that was commenced in 1988.<ref name="DE"/> The Iraqis intended to launch an Al-Ta'ir satellite with the help of such a launch vehicle.<ref name="TSR1"/> The Iraqis therefore pursued a LV with stages based on Scud missiles and the S-75 Dvina.<ref name="FAS"/> However, only the first stage could be tested in December 1989 and according to General Ra'ad the next stages could not be developed.<ref name="TSR1"/><ref name="TSR2"/> 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.<ref name="TSR2"/> UN inspectors and U.S intelligence did not offer many details regarding the Al-Abid launch vehicle as they were not interested in it.<ref name="TSR2"/>

==Planning== In 1988 Iraq declared a program to design as well as manufacture a LV capable of putting a satellite into orbit.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR1"/> The project was entirely civilian and was to be carried under the supervision of MIMI and had scientists from the Space Research Centre(SRC) and Project 144.<ref name="DE"/> A special team consisting of foreign scientists was also made which UNMOVIC could not identify.<ref name="TSR2"/> In general the Al-Abid project drew a large amount of foreign expertise particularly from a Brazilian scientist Major General Hugo de Oliveira Piva and later Dr. Gerald Bull who fixed problems with the launch part.{{cn|date=May 2023}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iraq/missile.htm |title=Iraq: Missiles |author= |date=21 April 2025 |website=globalsecurity.org |publisher=Global Security |access-date=21 April 2025 |quote=}}</ref>

A 50 kg satellite had already been built by Iraqi scientists.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR1"/> The task was to prepare a Launch vehicle capable of putting a 100–300 kg payload in 200–500 km LEO which was to be developed from indigenous systems,<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> namely Scud missiles.<ref name="DE"/> The SRC had planned for a schedule to have the first launch by 12 December 1990.<ref name="TSR2"/> When it comes to the first stage various designs and configurations of the Scud missiles were studied including cluster configurations involving four, five or six Scud missiles or modified Scud missiles were studied and similar opinions regarding higher stages were also discussed.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> By early 1989 Iraqi scientists had concluded on a design of five modified Scud missiles for first stage, a separated modified Scud as second stage and a double base propellant for third stage, in February 1989 the other team of two<ref name="DE"/> foreign specialist proposed a different design with a single Scud missile as core stage of first stage with 4-8 strap-on rockets which could be Scuds or S-75 Dvinas, the second stage would be either liquid propelled or solid propelled and would include an AKM, the space research centre would reject this design.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> Initially focus was concentrated on the first-stage however work on second and third stages had already commenced, initially the second stage was an 880 mm Scud missile of extended burn-time however by beginning on 1989 diameter increased to 1250 mm.<ref name="DE"/> Initially the missile had a large payload but General Ra'ad who oversaw Iraq's missile program had the width of the third stage increased to 1.25 m to avoid this hammerhead shape.<ref name="TSR2"/> The Iraqis would then also declare to develop a first-stage rocket engine with four Scud combustion chambers and a single turbopump which would fit a 1250 mm rocket and could operate DETA/UDMH as fuel<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> however work on this would be cancelled after the Gulf War.<ref name="TSR2"/>

==Later development and testing== On 5 December 1989 Iraq would test the launch vehicle from a site 230 km south of Baghdad<ref name="FAS"/> in al-Anbar however this would only be the first-stage, the second and third stages were only steel mockups, a videotape retrieved from the Haider chicken farm that the Iraqis were forced to reveal after a defection in 1995 showed that the Launch vehicle only burned for 45 seconds before it exploded, the Iraqis speculated it to be caused by premature firing of Explosive bolts between the first and dummy second stages,<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> the United States would learn of this test launch on 6 December 1989.<ref name="FAS"/> After the December 1989 test the Iraqis decided to test the second and third stages separately, they planned a test for autumn 1990 that was known as the '''Al Kharief'''({{langx|ar|الخريف}}, "autumn").<ref name="TSR2"/> This project would become controversial as UN inspectors would claim that it was a program for a new missile yet Iraqis would claim that it was just the upper stages of the Al-Abid launch vehicle, it turned out to be both a test platform for the upper stages of the launch vehicle and a test platform for an Iraqi nuclear weapon delivery system.<ref name="TSR2"/> Around mid-1990 the projects progress was very slow urging Iraqi leaders to meet, after such meetings it became clear that the project was being delayed by disagreements between different parties and differing priorities.<ref name="TSR2"/> The project had come to a halt and all progress was suspended after the invasion of Kuwait, according to General Ra'ad no final report was produced and no drawings of the vehicles were available.<ref name="TSR2"/> It was after the 1989 testing that the Iraqis concluded that the performance of the first stage was crucial to the performance of the whole vehicle, Iraq however encountered many problems while developing the second stage as the Scud missiles only provided thrust that could fulfill minimum requirements.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> The Iraqis initially attempted to increase second stage performance by increasing the expansion ratio of engine nozzle and changing its fuel,<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> the engine nozzle was relatively narrow as the scud missile was designed to operate above sea level.<ref name="TSR2"/> The Iraqis had decided for the second stage to ignite at higher altitude,<ref name="TSR2"/> the Iraqis increased the expansion ratio from 10 to 30 by adding a nozzle skirt<ref name="DE"/> and then changed the fuel from TM-185(a kerosene and gasoline mixture)<ref name="TSR2"/> to DETA/UDMH.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> Iraq focused on improving the Scud engine, work one project 1728 was done parallel to the al-Abid second stage engine.<ref name="DE"/> The Iraqis also approached two foreign countries for the engine however the offer was rejected and the two countries offered only to launch the satellite.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> On 1 December 1990 a test was carried out by project 1728 to use a nozzle extension for increased expansion ratio and UDMH as fuel however the test was carried out at sea level and no cooling was provided to emulate the high-altitude condition at which the rocket was to operate.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/>

==Characteristics== The missile in general was a 25 m long 3-stage missile designed to be capable of putting satellites which could be used for reconnaissance, communication and control into LEO.<ref name="FAS"/>

===First stage=== The first stage consisted of four<ref name="FAS"/> or five<ref name="DE"/><ref name="FAS"/><ref name="TSR2"/> bundled Scud missiles, either the al-Husayn missile<ref name="FAS"/> or al-Abbas<ref name="DE"/> missile. Each Scud missile had a width of 0.88 m.<ref name="TSR2"/> The first stage had a total mass of 48,000 kg<ref name="FAS"/> and a total propellant mass of 26,020 kg having a burn time of 90 s, the propellant flows at a rate of 289.1 kg/s.<ref name="DE"/> The total thrust provided in sea level is 660.7 kN while in vacuum its 731.6 kN.<ref name="DE"/> Some sources put the total thrust provided as 690 kN.<ref name="FAS"/> The total specific impulse provided at sea level is 233.0 s and in vacuum is 258 s.<ref name="DE"/> The total Impulse provided is 65.8 MN⋅s.<ref name="DE"/>

===Second stage=== The second stage was also a modified Scud missile<ref name="DE"/><ref name="FAS"/><ref name="TSR2"/> having a diameter of 1.25 m.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> The second stage used 3,760 kg<ref name="DE"/> of DETA/UDMH as fuel being flown at a rate of 57.8 kg/s<ref name="DE"/> and had an expansion ratio of 30.<ref name="DE"/><ref name="TSR2"/> It being a Scud missile had a relatively narrow nozzle.<ref name="DE"/> It provided a total thrust of 146.3 kN in vacuum and a specific impulse of 258 s also in vacuum, the stage had a burn time of 65 s in which it gave a total impulse of 9.5 MN.s.<ref name="DE"/>

===Third stage=== The third stage had a width of 1.25 m and had a clamshell payload fairing.<ref name="TSR2"/> The third stage is believed to have a SA-2 motor<ref name="FAS"/> although some sources suggest it might also be a Scud<ref name="TSR2"/> like the previous stages.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

==See also== * Unha: A North Korean launch vehicle derived from Scud missiles * Simorgh: An Iranian launch vehicle derived from Scud missiles

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:Science and technology in Iraq Category:Space launch vehicles of Iraq