Europa (rocket)
The Europe was a series of European launchers from the 1960s and 1970s, but were never used commercially. It was developed by the European Launcher Development Organisation ( ELDO ). The test flights were carried out from a launch site in Woomera, Australia.
Europe models
Europe 1
The Europe 1 consisted of three stages with a total height of 31.68 m. Each of these steps has been taken over by one of the three major states involved ELDO. So Britain built the first stage of Blue Streak, France, the second stage Coralie and Germany the third stage Astris. The Europe should carry a payload of about 1200 kg to low Earth orbit.
Between June 1964 and November 1966, five of the first stage test flights took place in Woomera. The second stage was getestest separately under the name Cora: in November and December 1966 by the French Centre d' Essais d' engins Interarmées spéciaux in Algeria and in October 1967 of Biscarrosse in the South of France. Two tests with combined first and second stage failed in August and December 1967. With the complete rocket three start attempts have been made, but they all fell through: November 29, 1968, on July 2, 1969 exploded the third stage, and on 12 June 1970, the payload fairing was not separated, so that the rocket failed to reach orbit.
Europe 2
The Europa 2 was broadly in Europe 1, but had four instead of three stages. Thus one satellite 170 to 230 kg dose should be placed on a geostationary orbit. Since the rocket exposing only the satellite in a geostationary transfer orbit, this corresponded to a payload of 360-420 kg for the GTO orbit. The first and second stage which corresponded to the Europe 1 The third stage was slightly modified and extended by a fourth stage to achieve the GTO orbit. The Europa 2 was launched on November 5, 1971 by Guiana Space Centre for its maiden flight, which, however, failed. This launch was also the only one Europe 2 The report of the commission of inquiry revealed serious deficiencies in the management and quality assurance, which led to the suspension of work on the second rocket whose launch was scheduled for 1972/1973. A model of Europa 2 came in the German Museum in Munich.
Europe 3
In Europe 3 it was a French design which had been developed by France since 1966. This design was submitted by the end of the ELDO the newly established ESA, then rose in the ELDO. This draft European 3 was the basis for the later Ariane 1 ESA.
Survey
The following table shows the technical data of the three European versions. Information about payloads can not be directly compared, because they depend on orbital parameters and launch site.