Second P120C Booster case manufactured and successfully tested. Ramping up towards Ariane 6 and Vega C. More to come soon.
Interesting... #Ariane6 #ELA4
The new #ELA4 #ZL4 launch pad for #Ariane6 is taking shape quickly, early September shot
Updated overview shot of #ELA4 for #Ariane6, gantry foundation clearly visible in the front, #BAL starting to take shape in the back
Isn't that a render of CCU4 (A6 payload assembly transporter, comparable to the transporter for Soyuz and Vega) on the image from DutchSpace!?Also a YouTube channel to check often: CNES CSG
Ariane 6 could use reusable Prometheus engine, designer saysLES MUREAUX, France and WASHINGTON — Europe’s upcoming Ariane 6 rocket, though designed to be expendable, could one day sport a reusable engine, according to Patrick Bonguet, head of the Ariane 6 program at ArianeGroup.Whether or not the rocket would ever use that engine, called Prometheus, depends on whether Ariane 6 manufacturer ArianeGroup, formerly Airbus Safran Launchers, finds enough benefit for the European launch sector. So far, the merits of reusable rockets to ArianeGroup are unclear at best, Bonguet said, but the company is researching the technology to be ready for implementation should it prove worthwhile.“We could replace Vulcain 2.1 by Prometheus,” Bonguet told SpaceNews. “Or Prometheus can be the first break to build the next generation. We will see where we are in 2025 or 2030, and then decide on the right time whether to go one way or the other.”
On 10 October 2017, the M1 demonstration flight model of the Vulcain 2.1 main stage cryogenic rocket motor for Ariane 6 arrived in the DLR German Aerospace Center test facility in Lampoldshausen for functional tests. The Vulcain is 3.7 m high, 2.5 m in diameter and weighs about 2 tonnes, and will deliver 135 tonnes of thrust in vacuum.
There are two main changes in how the engine works. DLR German Aerospace CenterExpensive liquid helium is no longer needed because heated oxygen in the exhaust lines now pressurises the oxygen tank.The new engine is ignited from the ground via the bottom of the nozzle instead of by pyrotechnic devices inside the motor, reducing the cost and weight.
Le montage du portique mobile Ariane 6 a débuté il y a quelques jours, sur le chantier du futur ensemble de lancement n°4. Une fois équipé, l'ouvrage métallique de 8 500 tonnes sera le bâtiment mobile le plus lourd d'Europe. Les opérations d'assemblage finales d'Ariane 6 se dérouleront sous cette tour haute de 90 m. A l'aide d'un pont roulant de 45 tonnes, les équipes procéderont à la verticalisation du corps central, à la mise en place des étages à propulsion solide et des différents éléments du lanceur.Le bâtiment sera aussi équipé de plateformes mobiles donnant accès aux différents niveaux du lanceur. Juste avant le décollage, le portique se reculera sur une distance de 120 m en une vingtaine de minutes, grâce à une double voie ferrée. #ChantierAriane6 #ELA4
THALES ALENIA SPACE WINS A CONTRACT TO SUPPLY THE TELEMETRY TRANSMITTER OF THE EUROPEAN LAUNCHER ARIANE 6First ever contract of Thales Alenia Space in Spain in the launchers segmentMadrid, November 14, 2017 - Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with ArianeGroup, prime contractor and design authority of Ariane 6, to design, develop, qualify and manufacture the telemetry transmitter of the new European launcher. The telemetry transmitter is responsible for transmitting to the ground the data generated by the launcher throughout the whole launch mission. It is the first contract of the company in Spain in the launchers segment. After three decades of activity in the space sector participating in more than 400 satellites, probes and spacecraft put into orbit, the company expands its comprehensive product portfolio in Spain in the field of space communications with a new generation equipment adapted to very demanding requirements from the customer, in a highly competitive environment, which has driven to adopt an innovative design using the most advanced manufacturing technologies.Eduardo Bellido, CEO of Thales Alenia Space in Spain, said: "We are proud to enjoy the confidence of ArianeGroup and ESA for the development of an equipment as critical as the Ariane 6 telemetry transmitter, a key program in the European space scene". "This contract shows our company's ability to adapt to a continuously evolving space market, implementing new industrial processes and technologies to meet our customer needs", he added.The development of Ariane 6 was approved at the European Space Agency (ESA) Ministerial Council in December 2014 to ensure that Europe maintains its leadership in the fast-changing commercial launch market, while also addressing requirements for European governmental missions. The launcher will be developed in two versions: Ariane 62, with two solid propellant strap-on boosters and Ariane 64, with four solid-propellant strap-on boosters. The maiden launch of Ariane 6 is planned in 2020.Thales Alenia Space has contributed to the European launcher industry over the last 40 years as a key supplier of numerous electronic systems developed by the company in Belgium for the entire family of Ariane (Ariane 1 to Ariane 6), Vega and Soyuz launchers.