WOOMERA FAILURE

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32031, 4 July 1969, Page 11

WOOMERA FAILURE

Rocket Fell Into Sea

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright)

WOOMERA, July 3.

The European Launcher Development Organisation's Europa rocket project suffered a major set-back today when its German-made third stage failed to ignite. The 108 ft-long F 8 rocket blasted off at 10.5 a.m. New Zealand time after a perfect count-down, and the British Blue Streak first stage and the French Coralie second stage functioned correctly, but the third failed to ignite, and the 100-ton rocket crashed into the Pacific Ocean 2900 miles north of Woomera. The launch —the ninth of 10 planned from Woomera before the project moves to a French-bu’.lt site in South America—had been postponed twice this week because of poor weather. Last week the launch was delayed by the detonation of an explosive bolt between the second and third stages. The purpose of today’s firing was to test further the performance of the threestage satellite launcher, which will eventually put an Italian-designed satellite into north-south polar orbit.