ELDO

European Launcher Development Organisation

ELDO was established to develop the first European satellite launch vehicle with the Europa Program. It used the cancelled Blue Streak IRBM with new upper stages to develop the Europa rockets.

Members were Belgium, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, with Australia as associate member.

After consistent failures within the Europa program, the ELDO and ESRO reorganized into the ESA which dropped the Europa rocket in favor of the Ariane Project.

To test the new Coralie second stage for the ELDO Europa rocket, the Cora test vehicle was launched 3 times with dummy Astris upper stage. Only one launch was succesful. Flights with an active Astris upper stage were cancelled.

In 1962 with the creation of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), plans for the Europa I rocket were announced. It would re-use the cancelled British Blue Streak IRBM, and after 4 R&D flights the first fully stacked Europa rocket flew on November 29, 1968.

Sources & Further Reading

Wikipedia (en)