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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1429.PDF
FLIGHT International, 15 August 1963 247 ELDO THIRD STAGE A MAJOR SPACE-VEHICLE PROGRAMME FOR WEST GERMANY GERMANY was the leading nation in the early period of rocket experimentation in the 1920s and 1930s. By the end of World War 2 German development of rocket weapons had reached a point which could not even be properly comprehended by the victorious British, US and Soviet technicians who were charged with the task of probing the manifold German missile programmes. Gradually the allied nations caught up with the thinking of the vanquished; and, in the Soviet Union at least, a great deal of the German work was continued at full pressure. In partitioned Germany, however, all development of rockets ceased. Most of the senior scientists were able to continue their work, but only as exiles working for their conquerors. Those who remained experienced what the American industry calls "a bathtub" —a period of stagnation and depression which occurs whenever one major programme tails off before the next begins. The German bathtub lasted approximately a decade. With many people this would be long enough to kill all interest in their former work. But gradually rocket and space technicians returned to Germany, in many cases with up-to-date experience of such work in the Soviet Union or USA. In 1954 the German Society for Rocket Technology and Spaceflight, of Stuttgart, established a Research Institute for Jet Propulsion Physics under one of the greatest rocket pioneers, Dr Eugen Sanger. In Bremen the German Rocket Society developed an oil-spraying rocket for the Sea Resctte Service, and patented it in 27 countries. Interest became widespread in mail-carrying, sounding and meteorological rockets. Sputnik 1 (October 1957) accelerated the interest in rocketry of the Federal Government departments and aircraft manufacturers, and another essential prerequisite to a space-capable industry was the rapid growth of German aircraft manufacturing strength from 1957 onwards. In December 1959 the Federal German Republic established a National Committee on Space Research, primarily with a view to co-operating with COSPAR. In April 1960 the British Blue Streak LRBM programme was terminated, and, after carefully weighing a mountain of expert and inexpert advice, the British Government agreed to take steps to investigate the possibility of this rocket forming the first stage of a satellite launch vehicle developed on an international basis. In January 1961 the Minister of Aviation, Mr Peter Thorneycroft, visited Bonn; and the Federal ministers and technicians with whom he discussed the idea were keenly interested. Mr Thorneycroft's Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Geoffrey Rippon, had stated the previous month that, if the idea went ahead, the second stage of the vehicle would be based on "French development work." The Germans began to discuss the possibility of their country assuming responsibility for the third and final stage of propulsion. Some Germans were reluctant to participate in this expensive and somewhat nebulous and precarious venture. Others felt slightly piqued that the two biggest contributions—the first and second stages—had already been safely secured by the joint promoters of the scheme. But the longer the Franco-British proposal was studied the more logical it appeared to be, and in the summer of 1961 the Federal Republic agreed in principle to join. Their decision was announced in July, and the following month Mr Thorneycroft disclosed that West Germany would accept full responsibility for the third stage. After protracted negotiations the European Launcher Develop ment Organization was formed, and its draft Convention received the final signature on April 16,1962. The signatories, together with their proportional financial contributions for the first (five-year) phase of development—budgeted on an estimate of £70—are: United Kingdom, 38.79%; France, 23.93%; Federal German Republic, 22.01 %; Italy, 9.78%; Belgium, 2.85 %; the Netherlands, 2.64%; and Australia (no contribution in this phase, but to make the Woomera range available for pre-launch checkout and launching). Headquarters of ELDO are being established in Paris. From 1958 onwards the Royal Aircraft Establishment had supported project studies under the Ministry name of Black Prince into upper stages of space launch vehicles of various kinds, mainly basing their work upon the Black Knight HTP/kerosine rocket. Later the two British liquid-propellant rocket firms, Rolls-Royce and Bristol Siddeley Engines, initiated their own study pro grammes; and all three organizations are continuing today to investigate various possibilities. A report on Rolls-Royce design studies appeared in our May 2 issue. For the ELDO vehicle there are many possible solutions to the problem of pro ducing the optimum third stage. At one extreme it is possible to choose design para meters based entirely on existing work and calculated to lead to a reliable stage at the earliest date with minimum development expenditure and risk. At the other it is possible to start with the proverbial clean sheet of paper and design an uninhibited stage with optimum flight performance. There are also two other fundamental design variables upon which a decision must be taken at the earliest possible date. One is to choose the propellant combination. The other is to decide whether the propulsion system of the third stage should have an engine of relatively high thrust with a short burning time, with start/stop "impulse" capability, or whether the stage should have This diagram shows the main characteristics of the three-stage satellite-launching vehicle developed under the ELDO initial programme. The perfor mance and availability of future ELDO vehicles was discussed in our April 18 issue First stage (United Kingdom, Hawker Siddeiey Dyna mics) Launch weight, 196,2001b to 198.5001b. depending on mission; overall length (thrust-chamber exits to mating line with second stage), 60ft 4.8in; diameter of tanks, I20in; propellants, liquid oxygen and kerosine; powerplant, Rolls-Royce RZ.I2 (twin RZ.2); thrust at sea level, 300,0001b. Second stage (France, Nord-Aviation/LRBA) Launch weight, 25,3531b; overal I length, 224in from mating ring with first stage to base of skirt of third stage, 263in to upper edge of third-stage skirt; diameter of tanks, 79.14in; propellants, UDMH/N204; powerplant, pressure feed to four gimbal-mounted SNECMA nozzles; thrust at sea level, 61,7301b. Third stage (West Germany, ERNO/Bolkow) Launch weight, 7,2751b; overall length, I50.2in from base of jettisonable skirt to satellite mating ring, I07.9in from lower edge of fixed airframe to satellite mating ring (i.e., with skirt jettisoned but with thrust chambers projecting beyond this level), and 221 in from lower edge of fixed airframe to tip of satellite payload nose fairing; stage diameter, 79.Kin; propellants, UDMH/N2Oi; powerplant, ERNO main and vernier chambers, as described in text; thrust at sea level, 4,9601b plus 2201b (later to be 1321b) from verniers. Q^2)
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