The corvette L'Astrolabe was launched at Toulon in 1811 as Ecurie, a horse transport ship of 390
tons. During 1813
she was transformed for the transportation of men and ammunition. The new corvette was named La
Coquille.
Because of her qualities, she was again transformed for survey voyages.
In 1822, she set out on her first world voyage of exploration under Lieutenant Commander Duperrey.
In 1825, she was renamed Astrolabe in memory of an earlier exploration ship commanded by Jean La Perouse which was lost after surveying California, the west coast of North America, and remote areas of the western Pacific.
Thereafter, Astrolabe participated mostly in exploratory expeditions. She sailed on her second voyage of discovery under Capt. Dumont d'Urville, who, in 1837 discovered the continent of Antarctica which he named "Terre Adelie" after his wife.
The Astrolabe was sold and broken up in 1851.
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