Space and Astronomy Atlas

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Launch Vehicles

Europa

Europe

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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 Class
Medium-lift expendable launch vehicle (never achieved orbit) 1
Manufacturer
European Launcher Development Organisation (multinational consortium) 1
First Flight Date
1964-06-05 1
Date of the first Europa (Europa I) test flight of the British Blue Streak first stage; the full three-stage vehicle never reached orbit successfully.
Status
Cancelled in 1972 after no successful orbital launch; ELDO itself was absorbed into the newly formed European Space Agency in 1975. 1
Sources
1. European Space Agency: History
European Space Agency
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