Editing Europa (rocket) (section)

== Design ==

===Payloads===
The payload for the rocket was overseen by the European Space Research Organization – [[ESRO]]. Satellites were proposed to be launched by 1969 or 1970, in a circular [[polar orbit]] at an altitude of {{convert|125|mi|km}}. ESRO organised the development of early satellites such as [[ESRO 2B]] (Iris), built by [[Hawker Siddeley Dynamics]] and Engins [[Matra]].

In 1967, it was decided the payloads were to be launched by 1970 from [[French Guiana]], not Australia. In April 1969, Britain decided to invest in a satellite television project by the [[European Broadcasting Union]].

By the early 1970s the French-German [[Symphonie]] communications satellite were in production, but by then Europa was cancelled in November 1971.

===First stage===
The ''Blue Streak'' first stage was tested three times in 1964, and also in 1965, with dummy upper stages in 1965. It was assisted by the [[British National Committee for Space Research]]. The chief project engineer of the rocket's assembly at the space projects division of [[Hawker Siddeley Dynamics]] was Dr [[Geoffrey Pardoe]], also the project manager of Blue Streak from 1956 to 1960 (when under [[de Havilland]]). In August 1965, the Blue Streak was tested (static firing trial) with (complete full-weight) dummy upper stages at [[RAF Spadeadam]] (the site was owned by Rolls-Royce), with first successful firing on 23 September 1965 lasting 135 seconds. Five days later the site was visited by the [[Ministry of Aviation|Minister of Aviation]], [[Roy Jenkins]].

In January 1966, it had been transported to [[Adelaide]], Australia, for launches later that year. Also in the UK in 1967 the go-ahead had been given for the UK's (separately developed) three-stage [[Black Arrow]] rocket launcher (made by [[Westland Aircraft]], with [[Bristol Siddeley]] rocket engines developed at the [[Rocket Propulsion Establishment]] at [[Westcott, Buckinghamshire]]) – Britain did not need to rely on Europa, and Black Arrow would be ready first. Britain then withdrew from ELDO, to concentrate on the Black Arrow, but was committed to supplying ELDO with two Blue Streak rocket stages a year until 1976. At this time in 1969, Britain was spending £30 million a year on space, controlled from the Space Division of the [[Minister of Technology|Ministry of Technology]]. Britain was still dealing with, and funding, [[ESRO]].

By 1970, Hawker Siddeley's Blue Streak launcher had cost £100 million to develop. Blue Streak was used for the Europa 2's one and only launch on 5 November 1971.<gallery>
File:Europa2rp.jpg|''Blue Streak'' stage engines on display at [[Euro Space Center]]
File:Lanceur Europa (1).jpg|''Blue Streak'' stage, engine view
File:Ancienne fusée Europa (Redu) en plein champs.jpg|''Blue Streak'' stage, bottom view
</gallery>

===Second stage===
{{See also|Cora (rocket)}}
''Coralie'' tests began in December 1965 at [[Vernon, Eure]] in France, west of Paris ([[Société Européenne de Propulsion]] - SEP, at Vernon, would later develop the Viking main engines for [[Ariane (rocket family)|Ariane]]).

In 1966 and 1967 operations moved to the [[Centre interarmées d'essais d'engins spéciaux|CIEES]] test range near [[Hammaguir]], [[Algeria]] using the [[Cora (rocket)|Cora]] rocket.

<gallery>
File:Étage Coralie du lanceur Europa.jpg|''Coralie'' stage, bottom view
File:Musée de la Cité de l'Espace 06.jpg|''Coralie'' stage, side view
File:Étage Coralie (top).JPG|''Coralie'' stage, top view
File:Coralie rocket stage top view.jpg|''Coralie'' stage, top view
File:Étage Coralie (down).JPG|''Coralie'' stage, bottom view
File:Coralie rocket stage engines.jpg|''Coralie'' stage engines
</gallery>

===Third stage===
{{Main|Astris (rocket stage)}}
{{See also|Cora (rocket)}}
The ''[[Astris (rocket stage)|Astris]]'' third stage was made in Germany by [[Entwicklungsring Nord]] (ERNO Raumfahrttechnik GmbH), based in [[Bremen]], from 1969. The German consortium itself was known as [[Arbeitsgemeinschaft Satellitenträgersystem]] (ASAT), which consisted of ERNO and [[Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm|MBB]]. Although assembled by ERNO in Bremen, the engine was made by [[Société d'Etudes pour la Propulsion par Réaction]] (SEPR), part of [[Snecma]] in [[Melun Villaroche Aerodrome|Villaroche]].

On 2 July 1969, on a launch at Woomera of the three-stage {{convert|108|ft|m|adj=on}} rocket, the ''Astris'' third stage failed to light, after the other two had successfully fired.

After the third stage, an [[apogee kick motor]] would be used to put a satellite into a [[synchronous orbit]].

ERNO would later develop the second stage for the Ariane launcher, at the [[Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke]] (VFW) factory in Bremen, later owned by [[Daimler Benz Aerospace]] then [[DaimlerChrysler Aerospace]] (DASA).<gallery>
File:Europa Upper Stage University of Stuttgart.jpg|''Astris'' on display on the campus of University of Stuttgart
File:Europa Upper Stage University of Stuttgart 02.jpg|''Astris'' side view
File:Europa Upper Stage University of Stuttgart 04.jpg|''Astris'' front view
File:Astris rocket stage top view.jpg|''Astris'' top view
File:Étage Astris d'Europa.jpg|''Astris'' bottom view
File:Europa Upper stage Feb 11 2010.jpg|''Astris'' engine
File:Vernier Europa.jpg|''Astris'' vernier engines
</gallery>

=== Fourth stage (Europa II only) ===
[[File:Europa2vrp.jpg|thumb|Europa II rocket, view of fairing and upper stages]]{{Main|Diamant}}
This configuration added a fourth stage derived from the [[Diamant|Diamant BP4]] P-068 third stage, developing a thrust of 24&nbsp;kN for 46 seconds.