Early European Launch Vehicle Flight History 
                           Page 2 of 2:  Comprehensive Launch Failure List

Date        Vehicle          ID    Site       Payload           Failure Description                      Result#
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5/24/1960   Black Knight     BK08  WO LA5A    Gaslight                                                     FSO*
5/9/1961    Black Knight     BK14  WO LA5B    Gaslight                                                     FSO*
6/7/1961    Black Knight     BK17  WO LA5     Gaslight                                                     FSO*
6/15/1964   Emeraude VE121         HA Brig                      Guidance failure                           FSO*
7/17/1964   Emeraude VE121         HA Brig                      Exploded                                   FSO*
10/20/1964  Emeraude VE121         HA Brig                      Tank pressurization failure                FSO*
7/10/1965   Saphir VE231     P2    HA Brig                      Stage sep failure                          FSO*
12/2/1966   Saphir VE231     R5    HA Brig                      Stage sep failure                          FSO*
2/8/1967    Diamant A        No.3  HA Brig    Diadene 1         Low Orbit                                 (LEO)
6/27/1969   Black Arrow      R-0   WO LA5B                      Control Loss 50 sec                        FSO*
8/4/1967    Europa I         F-6/1 WO LA6A                      2nd stg failed to ignite                   FSO*
12/4/1967   Europa I         F-6/2 WO LA6A                      1/2 stg sep failed (2nd stg sequencer)     FSO*
11/29/1968  Europa I         F-7   WO LA6A    STV 1             3rd stg failed after 5 sec (1st orbit try) FTO
7/2/1969    Europa I         F-8   WO LA6A    STV 2             3rd stg failed after a few sed             FTO
6/12/1970   Europa I         F-9   WO LA6A    STV 3             Fairing sep failed                         FTO
9/2/1970    Black Arrow      R-2   WO LA5B    X-2               2nd stg shutdown 13 sec early              FTO
11/5/1971   Europa II        F-11  KO CECLES  STV 4/PAS         Guidance fail 100 sec (static discharge)   FTO
12/5/1971   Diamant B        No.4  KO Diam    D2 Polaire        2nd stg failed                             FTO
5/21/1973   Diamant B        No.5  KO Diam    Castor Pollux     Fairing sep failed                         FTO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Footnotes:

#  FTO:  Failed to Orbit
   FSO*:  Failed Suborbital
  (EEO):  Unintended Eliptical Earth Orbit
  (GTO):  Unintended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
  (LEO):  Unintended/Improper Low Earth Orbit

"HA" = Hammaguira (Brigitte pad), Algeria
"WO" = Woomera Range, Australia
"KO" = Kourou Space Center, French Guiana
"RSO" = Range Safety Officer


References:

Jonathan's Space Report Launch Vehicle Database 
    "http://www.planet4589.org/space/lvdb/index.html"
Encylopedia Astronautica "http://www.astronautix.com/"
Gunter's Space Page "http://www.skyrocket.de/space"
TRW Space Log 1957-1996, TRW Space & Electronics Group, Redondo Beach, CA. 

Last Update 12/30/2003 by Ed Kyle