ERNO
| ERNO Raumfahrttechnik GmbH (founded as the North Development Ring ) |
|
|---|---|
| legal form | Company with limited liability |
| founding | 1964 |
| resolution | 1989 |
| Reason for dissolution | Transition to DASA |
| Seat | Bremen , Germany |
| Branch | Aerospace Engineering |
The ERNO Space Technology GmbH , establishing Entwicklungsring North , shortly ERNO called, was from 1964 to 1990 a German company for aerospace engineering .
history
In 1961 the aircraft manufacturers Focke-Wulf , Weserflug and Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) founded a working group with the aim of concentrating all development tasks, especially in the field of space travel. At the end of 1964, the companies Hamburger Flugzeugbau and Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) founded E ntwicklungs r ing No rd ( ERNO ) as an interest group based in Bremen . Under the name ERNO Raumfahrttechnik GmbH , the interest group was given the legal form of a GmbH on January 1, 1967 . The share capital was 10 million German marks and was 60% in the hands of VFW and 40% with HFB.
The initial activities focused on participating in several projects:
- European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO): an intergovernmental project to build the Europa rocket , discontinued in 1973 due to a lack of success.
- TD-1A : Satellite of the European Space Research Organization (ESRO).
- AZUR : first German satellite.
After the first successes in these development tasks and many space studies, the size and tasks of ERNO grew, and offers were made as the main contractor for several projects:
- HELIOS space probe : The competitor was Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), which also received the order. ERNO's (working name: thread reel ) critical thermal concept for a solar probe was superior, however, so that MBB took it over immediately after the order was placed by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT) .
- GEOS (satellite): ERNO was the leader of the MESH consortium. The MESH offer was superior to the competition in most respects, but was not accepted by ESRO because of the unacceptable geographical distribution .
- SPACELAB (space laboratory): competitor was MBB. Because of the better technical concept - especially the modularity - the contract with ERNO was signed by ESRO in spring 1974.
ERNO also developed many components for space travel (including small engines, tanks, structures, electronic boxes) and was thus involved in almost all European space programs. An engine test stand was operated in Lampoldshausen .
ERNO played a leading role in the development and manufacture of the Ariane rockets .
Valuable scientific data could be obtained with the TEXUS program for technological experiments under weightlessness with the help of rockets for high-altitude research (exploring the high atmosphere ).
In 1982 MBB took over the United Flugtechnischen Werke (VFW) and thus ERNO. MBB including ERNO was transferred to Deutsche Aerospace Aktiengesellschaft (DASA) in 1989 .
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Flug Revue , edition: January 1969, page 14