Early european rocketry projects

[Barrington Bond]

Apologies the photocopier was not good...

Europa III

 

[Barrington Bond]

...and the rest.

 

[Barrington Bond]

New Scientist article.

 

[TheKutKu]

Cryorocket's nuclear thermal rocket design.
From "La legende d'un demi siecle de moteurs fusée à Villaroche, volume 1"


"In 1971, through the EUROPA program, and under the direction of CRYOROCKET under a CECLES/ELDO contract, we (SEP) did the general study of a propulsive system associated witha nuclear reactor that heats hydrogen as a reaction mass.
This system was considered for EUROPA 3, and should enable the transportation of a larger payload than 1,680 kg from a 200km circular orbit to a 36,000 geostationary orbit.
The stage's mass is 5.5 tons for an estimated ISP of 815s (for comparison, the H8 stage of Ariane 1 weighted 9.3 tons with a 446s isp).
The thrust was quite low, with about 2 kN compared to 65 kN for the H8 stage, the flight trajectory was very different:
A first burn would bring the payload to a transfer orbit, while a second, after a ballistic phase, would go to Geostationary orbit.
The considered reactor power output was on the order of 10 MW. We're far from the performances of the famous NERVA that were reached during its development from 1955 to 1972. But NERVA, in its outline, became a reference for the study that we were contracted for.
(NERVA performances: 1,560 MW ISP=825s; T_Chamber = 2360K; Thrust = 330 kN)

The principle that we chose for the EUROPA engine is as following:

The Liquid Hydrogen leaving the tank at low pressure (2 bar) crosses the pump (1)then the shielding (2) that, if necessary, it cools, before then going in the nozzle's regenerative circuit (3).
The nuclear core's technological requirements necessitate that the fluid must be above a certain temperature as input. Therefore, the Hydrogen must be heated in the heat reflector (4). This reflector, made of Beryllium, must reflect part of the neutrons coming from the chain reaction in the core.
The hydrogen, then at a temperature of around 150K, make the turbine work (5) then reaches the core (6) where its temperature increases to 2400K for a chamber pressure of around 5 Bar. The expansion happens throught the nozzle (7)"

Operation durations	7.65 hours	Temp. H2 when entering the reactor	<= 200K
Duration of 1st propulsive phase	2.00 h	Pressure H2 when entering the reactor	15 bar
Duration of ballistic phase	5.20 h	Temp H2 when leaving the reactor
Duration of 2nd propulsive phase	0.45 h	-during the propulsive phase	2400K
		-during the ballistic phase	>=1900K
Power output propulsive phase	10 MW	Pressure H2 when leaving the reactor	5 bar
Power output ballistic phase	0.1 MW	Hydrogen mass flow	>= 0.26 kg/s
Core Temp. Propulsive phase	<= 2600K
Core Temp. Ballistic phase	>= 2000K	Estimated isp	815s
Heat reflectors temperature	670K	Estimated thrust	2080 N

The turbopump: Single stage, 68,000 rot/min; 21 bar overpressure; 15.4 kW power output; mass flow 0.26 kg/s


General diagram of the stage.


What I wouldn't do to have a copy of that "final report"...

 

[Michel Van]

Jesus !
They were still in 1970s working on NERVA type engine for Europa Rocket ?!
i knew from one french proposal in 1960s for second stage
but this on Europa 3, i knew they study Florine/Hydrogene third stage but a Third stage Nuclear ?!

 

[Archibald]

France was investing a crapton of money in its civilian nuclear power program, building present day 58 reactors. So why not use that extensive knowledge for rocketry ?

 

[TheKutKu]

Cryorocket's nuclear thermal rocket design.
From "La legende d'un demi siecle de moteurs fusée à Villaroche, volume 1"
View attachment 727036

"In 1971, through the EUROPA program, and under the direction of CRYOROCKET under a CECLES/ELDO contract, we (SEP) did the general study of a propulsive system associated witha nuclear reactor that heats hydrogen as a reaction mass.
This system was considered for EUROPA 3, and should enable the transportation of a larger payload than 1,680 kg from a 200km circular orbit to a 36,000 geostationary orbit.
The stage's mass is 5.5 tons for an estimated ISP of 815s (for comparison, the H8 stage of Ariane 1 weighted 9.3 tons with a 446s isp).
The thrust was quite low, with about 2 kN compared to 65 kN for the H8 stage, the flight trajectory was very different:
A first burn would bring the payload to a transfer orbit, while a second, after a ballistic phase, would go to Geostationary orbit.
The considered reactor power output was on the order of 10 MW. We're far from the performances of the famous NERVA that were reached during its development from 1955 to 1972. But NERVA, in its outline, became a reference for the study that we were contracted for.
(NERVA performances: 1,560 MW ISP=825s; T_Chamber = 2360K; Thrust = 330 kN)

The principle that we chose for the EUROPA engine is as following:

The Liquid Hydrogen leaving the tank at low pressure (2 bar) crosses the pump (1)then the shielding (2) that, if necessary, it cools, before then going in the nozzle's regenerative circuit (3).
The nuclear core's technological requirements necessitate that the fluid must be above a certain temperature as input. Therefore, the Hydrogen must be heated in the heat reflector (4). This reflector, made of Beryllium, must reflect part of the neutrons coming from the chain reaction in the core.
The hydrogen, then at a temperature of around 150K, make the turbine work (5) then reaches the core (6) where its temperature increases to 2400K for a chamber pressure of around 5 Bar. The expansion happens throught the nozzle (7)"
View attachment 727032

Operation durations	7.65 hours	Temp. H2 when entering the reactor	<= 200K
Duration of 1st propulsive phase	2.00 h	Pressure H2 when entering the reactor	15 bar
Duration of ballistic phase	5.20 h	Temp H2 when leaving the reactor
Duration of 2nd propulsive phase	0.45 h	-during the propulsive phase	2400K
		-during the ballistic phase	>=1900K
Power output propulsive phase	10 MW	Pressure H2 when leaving the reactor	5 bar
Power output ballistic phase	0.1 MW	Hydrogen mass flow	>= 0.26 kg/s
Core Temp. Propulsive phase	<= 2600K
Core Temp. Ballistic phase	>= 2000K	Estimated isp	815s
Heat reflectors temperature	670K	Estimated thrust	2080 N

The turbopump: Single stage, 68,000 rot/min; 21 bar overpressure; 15.4 kW power output; mass flow 0.26 kg/s
View attachment 727033

General diagram of the stage.
View attachment 727035

What I wouldn't do to have a copy of that "final report"...

Oh and some additional information from "HISTORY OF THE NUCLEAR THERMAL ROCKET PROPULSION" P. Pampie, 2017

EUROPA was the name of the Launch vehicle. In the frame of EUROPA III in 1971, ELDO has supported a program related to the design of a upper stage powered by a Nuclear Rocket Engine.
The payload mass target was 1650 Kg in GEO but the planetary missions were also considered.

The European companies involved in this program were : ERNO in Bremen (Germany), (presently Astrium GmbH), Cryorocket, (a joint venture between MBB (Astrium/Ottobrunn and SEP (Snecma )), Belgonucleaire, CEN/G and Sogreah
The upper stage, presented figure 11, was foreseen located during the atmospheric flight under the fairing. The payload is protected against the neutron flux emitted from the nuclear core by the hydrogen tank, however a shield, made of LiH cooled by H2 was foreseen.

Gross mass : 5,5 metric tons

Mass of the Nuclear reactor : 320 kg
Mass of the equipped
hydrogen tank : 395 kg
Hydrogen mass loaded: 2473 kg
Hydrogen tank diameter : 3,5 m
Attitude control : 8 Hydrazine thrusters

ENGINE

Engine thermodynamic Cycle : Expander
Thrust : 2122 N
ISP : 819,5 s
Pressure at the Throat : 5 bar
Pump discharge pressure : 23 bar
Hydrogen Temperature : 2400 K
Nozzle area ratio : 210
Reliability : 0,97 with a confidence level of 90%

Similar values. Figure 11 displays it, it looks different..

Proceedings of the XXth International Astronautical Congress: Selected Papers also has some earlier discussions about it.

Jesus !
They were still in 1970s working on NERVA type engine for Europa Rocket ?!
i knew from one french proposal in 1960s for second stage
but this on Europa 3, i knew they study Florine/Hydrogene third stage but a Third stage Nuclear ?!

Wasn't the 60s French proposal a Radioisotope Thermal Engine?

 

[Barrington Bond]

Dornier magazine ELGO article.

 

[Michel Van]

Wasn't the 60s French proposal a Radioisotope Thermal Engine?

Found it
Etude d'un etage nucleare pour launceur lourd Europeen by J.A. Dupont of SNECMA, 1962
a Nuclear powered stage for large launch vehicle that bring 10 ton in low earth orbit
By A Graphite-moderated uranium 235 reactor in which hydrogen is heated to 2500K°
Yielding a ISP of 800 sec.
The substitution of single nuclear stage for both upper stages of ELDO vehicle,
Mr Dupont said, should make it possible to double the payload/initial weight ratio

Source:
Flight International 6 June 1963 page 892

 

[Archibald]

Silly me... ! I know a bombshell of french website chock full with ELDO / Europa resources: but never posted an online translation of it.

This is repaired. https://aventure--des--fusees--euro...ate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr

That thing is a treasure trove. Could double or triple that thread contains.

Also Didier Capdevilla website. Online translation of the European entry.
https://www-capcomespace-net.transl..._sch=http&_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr

Ariane pre-history https://www-capcomespace-net.transl..._sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_sch=http

 

[Michel Van]

I found at NSF two documents of ERSO/ELDO space probe:

JBIS-ESRO.pdf

drive.google.com

JBIS-arrow.pdf

drive.google.com

Source:

Early European spaceflight history, manned and unmanned, about 1950-1975

Early European spaceflight history, manned and unmanned, about 1950-1975

forum.nasaspaceflight.com

 

[Michel Van]

my visit to Aachen University library ended mostly in a disaster !
The Aerospace faculty has DESTROY THERE ENITRE LIBRARY
unique Spaceflight book from 1920s to 1980s all gone
the Personell annoyed by my request and visit.

Lucky the faculty for Jet engines and Turbomachines has there library
i struck gold on P111- H20 engine and Ophos upper stage for Thor booster

 

[PMN1]

my visit to Aachen University library ended mostly in a disaster !
The Aerospace faculty has DESTROY THERE ENITRE LIBRARY
unique Spaceflight book from 1920s to 1980s all gone
the Personell annoyed by my request and visit.

Lucky the faculty for Jet engines and Turbomachines has there library
i struck gold on P111- H20 engine and Ophos upper stage for Thor booster

Did they say why they destroyed it??

 

[Michel Van]

Did they say why they destroyed it??

yes, you not beliefe it

We needed the rooms for meeting
we offer our Library to the central Library of University, but they refused so we trow the stuff away.

meeting room...
... i know that Library there was sufficient room for that, between the Books.

Ironic the Library on Jet engines and Turbomachines is also used as meeting room.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/institute-of-jet-propulsion-and-turbomachinery-of-university-of-aachen.43996/#post-698232

 

[Hood]

Sadly not uncommon these days for university libraries.

 

[baigar]

Really sad that such information in the libraries is simply vanishing forever :-(

 

[Archibald]

Europa is a long forgotten, miserable failure so probably no pity for the related paperwork...

 

[baigar]

Hmm, I do not completely aggree. The project was a loss but it pioneered some stuff that got important later: The guidance in the third stage never was actually used in the ELDO programm, but it included:

1. A digital computer (See my project
   View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-gF5g0nnoE
   ) which like the Apollo guidance computer used SMD integrated circuits and is from the same era. So looking at the hype on the Apollo AGC, Europa had something similar which was also working in 1967.
2. The inertial platform made by Ferranti made many UK/European projects a success like Tornado, Harrier (even the US bought it!), Nimrod, Jaguar, the UK Phantom FGR2 and the last platforms serviced until the 2010s. So well worth remembering!! Also restored one of these systems:
   View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EQqfxiGgd8
   - the guidance system based on that one made Ariane 1-3 a very (if not the most) accurate space launcher of its day.

 

[Michel Van]

I got this info, what scare the hell out me
This Europa II rocket was last intact version !
I have to find out what happen...

Based in Munich, so if you have a spot to visit there I can maybe of help. In the Flugwerft Schliessheim, an outpost of the Deutsches Museum, they had an almost complete ELDO on display but in the recent re-organization some parts disappeared and now only the lower stage (blue streak) is still there :-(

 

[Michel Van]

update:
from NSF

Remes said
I was there a few weeks ago. Earlier the rocket and its stages were lined up at one wall of the great hall. Now the first stage was moved about 15m aways. You can walk on this bridge structure, but the view is not great. The other stages are farther away. But that parts are not accessible at the moment. There are barriers. The upper stages are about 10..20m away from the closest point. So dispersed and badly accessible. The museum is rearranging things, they wrote it at the entrance.

In mean time i got the book "Schubkraft für die Raumfahrt"
a 480 pages master piece on German rocket engine design 1930s to 1999
it give me complete new in-view into P111 H20 history
but it take time to read and and process this data for this Forum

 

[baigar]

update:
from NSF
Remes said
I was there a few weeks ago. Earlier the rocket and its stages were lined up at one wall of the great hall. Now the first stage was moved about 15m aways. You can walk on this bridge structure, but the view is not great. The other stages are farther away. But that parts are not accessible at the moment. There are barriers. The upper stages are about 10..20m away from the closest point. So dispersed and badly accessible. The museum is rearranging things, they wrote it at the entrance.

Ahh - that is good to hear - here my pictures from old days 2009 ...



...2019:




(in that one there are my beloved 920M, interface unit and the Ferranti inertial platform still installed!!).

And recently (hardly visible along the windows on the far right side in the background only lower stage):



But good to know that the upper stages are still there and can be seen - hopefully the display will be improved again. By the way: Would love to pull the 920M there for only a few hours to read the program which certainly still sits in its core memory! Thanks!

 

[Michel Van]

little Historical note
how to hell we call L3S by name ?
France had issue with VEGA since it was brand name for beer in France, while Stella a Belgium beer...
Since French pay for L3S they dictate names : ‘Penelope’ ‘Phoenix’ and ‘Ariane’
Germany not wanted Phenix since events of ELDO and Europa IIIB
For some reason Name Penelope has issue, so they took Ariane

Source:

Naming Ariane

The first launcher project was known in French as ‘Lanceur à Trois Etages de Substitution’, or LIIIS. At a meeting in 1977, ESA delegates were asked to come up with a new name. Dr Peter Creola, formerly Head of the Swiss Space Office (SSO) and Swiss delegate to ESA Council, tells the story.

www.esa.int

 

[publiusr]

my visit to Aachen University library ended mostly in a disaster !
The Aerospace faculty has DESTROYED THEIR ENTIRE LIBRARY
Spaceflight books from 1920s to 1980s all gone—
the Personnel annoyed by my request and visit.

They did *what*?

That equals murder…which is what I would have been charged with had I accompanied you….leaving that bunch looking as though 20 chimpanzees tore through their throats.

 

[martinbayer]

little Historical note
how to hell we call L3S by name ?
France had issue with VEGA since it was brand name for beer in France, while Stella a Belgium beer...
Since French pay for L3S they dictate names : ‘Penelope’ ‘Phoenix’ and ‘Ariane’
Germany not wanted Phenix since events of ELDO and Europa IIIB
For some reason Name Penelope has issue, so they took Ariane

Source:

Naming Ariane

The first launcher project was known in French as ‘Lanceur à Trois Etages de Substitution’, or LIIIS. At a meeting in 1977, ESA delegates were asked to come up with a new name. Dr Peter Creola, formerly Head of the Swiss Space Office (SSO) and Swiss delegate to ESA Council, tells the story.

www.esa.int

The very first thing that came to mind when seeing these scribblings where various episodes of the US version of The Office that involved more or less futile Whiteboard brainstorming sessions. Also note the misspelling of Prometheus - Taxpayer Euros hard at work...

 

[Arjen]

Also note the misspelling of Prometheus -

Prometeus - correct spelling in Afrikaans and Slovenian, compare to Spanish, Italian Prometeo.
The result of translating, after transliterating Προμηθεύς to the Latin alphabet in different languages.
Compare to how various languages mangle København, which only the Danes seem to get right
<edit> Norwegians and Gaelge-speakers in Ireland get it right too.

 

[martinbayer]

Sadly not uncommon these days for university libraries.

Not just university libraries - several years ago Boeing purged their library system of all books. Initially employees could go through the database and order any books in the system they wanted for their personal collection and have it mailed to their office, until that was abruptly stopped after a few weeks as well. Yet they still claim to have a "library" system where you can obtain digitized copies of reports and other documents as well as access to external databases. Just another symptom...

 

[Michel Van]

found nice picture of Europa rocket
source X

 

[Michel Van]

more Picture
Source X #DutchSpace

 

[Michel Van]

the F11 aka Europa II

 

[baigar]

Wow - great pictures! Thanks for sharing these documents and open to any other material like that! Is there probably a picture showing the guidance installation in the 2nd stage? There should be a Ferranti inertial platform and an Elliott 920M computer - see

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-gF5g0nnoE

 

[Archibald]

One of the french engineers on F-11 saw the disaster coming and could do nothing about it. Long story short, the third stage and fairing static electricity discharge system was flawed. The engineer saw electric tension rise until it screwed the guidance system, after what the rocket was doomed. Hard lesson duly learned for Ariane !

 

[Michel Van]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL2OpK60XY4

 

[NMaude]

This seems to be the right thread for the below Scott Manley video:

After the USSR & USA reached orbit it would be 7 years before another country managed the same feat when France's home grown Diamant rocket launched the Asterix satellite. France's rocketry program started during World War II and would build larger and larger sounding rockets until committing to building an orbital launch capability (and ballistic missiles) became a priority in the 1960's.

There would be 3 iterations on the Diamant rocket before France transitioned to the Ariane launch vehicle.