European Launcher Development Organisation

The European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) is a former European space research organization. It was first developed in order to establish a satellite launch vehicle for Europe. The three-stage rocket developed was named Europa, after the mythical Greek god. Overall, there were 10 launches that occurred under ELDO’s funding. The organization consisted of Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Australia was an associate member of the organization. Initially, the launch site was in Woomera, Australia, but was later moved to the French site Kourou, in French Guiana. The program was created to replace the Blue Streak Missile Program after its cancellation in 1960. In 1974, after an unsuccessful satellite launch, the program was merged with the European Space Research Organisation to form the European Space Agency.