Shaba North

{{Infobox organization | name = Shaba North | formation = 1976 | native_name = Kapani Tonneo | logo = | logo_size = | image = | image_size = | caption = | map = | map_caption = | type = rocket launch site | coordinates = {{Coord|7.9239844|S|28.5360758|E|type:landmark_region:DRC_dim:2000|display=title,inline}} | owner = OTRAG | leader_title = | leader_name = | designer = | manufacturer = | location = | pushpin_map = Democratic Republic of the Congo }}

'''Shaba North''' (also mentioned as Kapani Tonneo)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Grahn |first=Sven |title=OTRAG |url=http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Swefirst/Soundingrocketdetails/OTRAG/OTRAG.htm |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=www.svengrahn.pp.se}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> was the launch site of the first rockets launched by Orbital Transport und Raketen AktienGesellschaft, or Orbital Forwarding Company in English ("OTRAG").<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-04-12 |title=Shaba North |url=http://astronautix.com/sites/shanorth.htm |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050412122354/http://astronautix.com/sites/shanorth.htm |archive-date=12 April 2005 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Serra |first=Jean-Jacques |date=2005-02-07 |title=OTRAG |url=http://www.univ-perp.fr/fuseurop/otrag_e.htm |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Rockets in Europe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207192943/http://www.univ-perp.fr/fuseurop/otrag_e.htm |archive-date=7 February 2005 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pirard |first=Theo |date=1997-06-01 |title=German rockets in africa: The explosive heritage of peenemunde |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576597001835 |journal=Acta Astronautica |volume=40 |issue=12 |pages=885–898 |doi=10.1016/S0094-5765(97)00183-5 |bibcode=1997AcAau..40..885P |issn=0094-5765|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

It is located at the edge of a mesa in Shaba (now Katanga province), the Democratic Republic of Congo.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Loffman |first=Reuben |date=2014 |title=An obscured revolution? USAID, the North Shaba Project, and the Zaïrian administration, 1976-1986 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43860519 |journal=Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne des Études Africaines |volume=48 |issue=3 |pages=425–444 |doi=10.1080/00083968.2014.943135 |jstor=43860519 |issn=0008-3968|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1976 Luvua Airport was built to supply the site.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leitenberger |first1=Bernd |title=OTRAG Rakete |url=https://www.bernd-leitenberger.de/otrag1.shtml |access-date=2021-11-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dann wäre Deutschland führend in der Welt |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/dann-waere-deutschland-fuehrend-in-der-welt-a-6e9104e9-0002-0001-0000-000040607304 |access-date=2021-11-27 |work=Der Spiegel |issue=33/1978 |date=1978-08-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media | people=Schwehm, Oliver (director) | publication-date=September 27, 2018 | title=Fly Rocket Fly | type=Motion picture | publication-place=Germany}}</ref>

In 1977 and in 1978 three test flights of OTRAG rockets were launched from Shaba North.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grahn |first=Sven |title=OTRAG at Esrange |url=http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Swefirst/Soundingrocketdetails/OTRAG/OTRAGEsrange.htm |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=www.svengrahn.pp.se}}</ref>

In 1979 OTRAG stopped launching rockets from Shaba North after pressure from the Soviet Union, whose leaders were concerned about German interests obtaining powerful long-range rockets.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Kapani Tonneo |url=http://www.astronautix.com/k/kapanitonneo.html |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=www.astronautix.com}}</ref> Its launching activities were later moved to Sabha, Libya.

== Launches == Three test flights were launched from Shaba North.<ref name=":0" /> {| class="wikitable sortable" !Date !OTRAG version !Apogee !Details |- |1977 May 18 |4x9m |15 km |Four-module test vehicle, 6 m long; propulsion test |- |1978 May 19 |4x9m |30 km |Four-module test vehicle, 6 m long; high altitude night test |- |1978 Jun 5 |4x15m |0 |Lost control and crashed in seconds |}

== Nearest locations ==

* Luvua Airport * Kalemie

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Rocket launch sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo {{DRCongo-geo-stub}}