An early, unsuccessful attempt at a European satellite launch vehicle, built by the European Launcher Development Organisation from a British first stage, French second stage and German third stage. Every attempted orbital launch failed, and the program was abandoned in 1972, its failures directly motivating the more centralized approach that created ESA and the Ariane program.
Facts
Vehicle ClassMedium-lift expendable launch vehicle (never achieved orbit) 2 ManufacturerEuropean Launcher Development Organisation (multinational consortium) 2 First Flight DateDate of the first Europa (Europa I) test flight of the British Blue Streak first stage; the full three-stage vehicle never reached orbit successfully. StatusCancelled in 1972 after no successful orbital launch; ELDO itself was absorbed into the newly formed European Space Agency in 1975. 2 Status
Status (category) Connections
Has Vehicle Class
Source Wikipedia: Europa (rocket)
Operated By
Europa was built and operated by the European Launcher Development Organisation from British, French and German stages; every attempted orbital launch failed and the program was abandoned in 1972.
Source European Space Agency: History
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Europa (rocket)
Introduction
Confidence in the programme had diminished due to the poor reliability figures, and this led to its termination.
In Group: Other European Launch Vehicles, Lead sentence
The Europa rocket was an early expendable launch system of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), which was the precursor to the European Space Agency (ESA).
Has Vehicle Class: Expendable Launch System, Lead sentence
The Europa rocket was an early expendable launch system of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), which was the precursor to the European Space Agency (ESA).
View the Source2. European Space Agency: History
European Space Agencyhttps://www.esa.int/About_Us/50_years_of_ESA/The_origins_of_Ariane
Tasks were distributed between nations: the United Kingdom would provide the first stage (derived from the Blue Streak missile), France would build the second and Germany the third stage.
- Operated By: European Launcher Development Organisation, ESA History: Europa launch vehicle programme
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