Europa rocket

Infobox rocket
name = Europa

---

caption = Europa II rocket
function = Orbital carrier rocket
manufacturer = ELDO
country-origin = Europe
height = 33 m
alt-height =
diameter = 3.05 m
alt-diameter =
mass = 104,670 kg
alt-mass =
stages = 3 - 4
LEO-payload =
alt-LEO =
payload-location = GTO
payload = Europa I: 200 kg
Europa II: 360 kg
alt-payload =
status = Retired
sites = LA-6, Woomera
CECLES, CSG (Kourou)
launches = 11
5 Blue Streak
2 Blue Streak/Coralie
3 Europa I
1 Europa II
success = 4
4 Blue Streak
fail = 7
1 Blue Streak
2 Blue Streak/Coralie
3 Europa I
1 Europa II
partial =
first=Blue Streak: 4 June 1964
Coralie: 4 August 1967
Europa I: 29 November 1968
Europa II: 5 November 1971
last=Blue Streak: 14 November 1966
Coralie: 4 December 1967
Europa I: 12 November 1970
Europa II: 5 November 1971
stage1name = Blue Streak
stage1engines = 2 RZ-2
stage1thrust = 170,565 kg_f
alt-stage1thrust = 1.67267 MN
stage1time = 156 seconds
stage1SI = 282 s
stage1fuel = RP-1/LOX
stage2name = Coralie
stage2engines = 4 Vexin-A
stage2thrust = 28,000 kg_f
alt-stage2thrust =
stage2time = 96 seconds
stage2SI = 277 s
stage2fuel = UDMH/N2O4
stage2diff = Optional
stage3name = Astris
stage3engines = 1 Astris
stage3thrust = 2,380 kg_f
alt-stage3thrust = 23.3 kN
stage3time = 330 seconds
stage3SI = 310 sec
stage3fuel = N2O4/Aerozine-50
stage3diff =
stage4name = P068 (Europa II)
stage4engines = 1 Solid
stage4thrust = TBC
alt-stage4thrust =
stage4time = TBC
stage4SI =
stage4fuel = Solid

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 and its Ariane family of launchers. The programme was initiated by the UK and the first launch occurred in August 1967.

Tasks were to be 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.

The Europa programme was divided into 3 successive projects :

* Europa 1: 4 unsuccessful launches
* Europa 2: 1 unsuccessful launch
* Europa 3: Cancelled before any launch occurred

Europa rocket launches

References

*Bleeker, J. A. M., M. Huber, and Johannes Geiss (2001). "The Century of Space Exploration". Dordrer: Klower Academic Publications.
*Bonnet, R. M. (1998). "Europe's Final Frontier." "Forum for Applied Research and Technology". 13.
*(1967). "European Rocket Crashes on Flight." "New York Times". August 5.
*Harvey, Brian (2003). "Europe's Space Programma: To Ariane and Beyond". Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
*Morgan Dan (1969). "Europe's Rocketry Beset By Failure." "Washington Post". July 24.