Rocket, Blue Streak

This rocket, the Blue Streak, was built by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Ltd in 1964. It was developed from the British Blue Streak LRBM (Long Range Ballistic Missile) and was made for the cancelled launch of the Eldo Europa II satellite launch vehicle.

The design of the stainless steel rocket originates loosely from the United States Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile. It has two fuel tanks containing liquid oxygen and kerosene and is powered by two Rolls-Royce RZ-2 Mark 3 engines. The entire rocket is made up of lightweight materials and was intended to be discarded in the Earth's atmosphere.

Blue Streak was initiated in the mid-1950s as Britain's first nuclear missile but was cancelled in 1960 before the first example had been fired. With the formation of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), Blue Streak became the first stage of the Europa Multi-stage Satellite Launcher. The first flight of the Blue Streak was in 1964. Europa was a failure as a rocket and was cancelled in 1971, but it paved the way for the 'Ariane' rockets.

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