ArianeGroup and MT Aerospace have signed in Berlin a new contract for the operational phase of Ariane 6, securing Europe's access to space for years to come. The agreement covers the supply of tanks and major structural components for the upper and core stages for the flight models 16 to 42 of the Ariane 6.
This series of articles is looking at the parts and components needed to assemble the Ariane 6 rocket – supplied by companies from the 13 ESA Member States participating to the Ariane 6 programme. Together they contribute the best of their know-how to build Europe's heavy-lift launcher under the guidance of main contractor ArianeGroup who also designed the Ariane 6 rocket.The company already played a role in the production of the rocket’s predecessor, Ariane 5, and has now been entrusted with a more extensive task: supplying the top and bottom protective enclosure for the boosters, known as the forward and rear skirts. These elements as well as metal parts for other components, are manufactured in their production plant located in Klatovy, a small town roughly hallway between Pilsen and Budweis.Cut, milled and deburredAt ATC Space, a concentrated stream of water under high pressure is used to cut large aluminium plates into the shapes needed. Each aluminium plate in the process has its own certificate of origin, stating its detailed chemical composition, information on who made it and when, and what production operations the part went through.The cut aluminium plates are moved to the milling hall, where they are further shaped into their final forms. Sharp edges and other inconsistencies are removed in a process called deburring, after which the parts are inspected and accurately measured.The booster engines’ attireThe metal parts then undergo non-destructive testing followed by anodizing, whereby the aluminium surface is coated with a layer that is significantly harder and more chemically resistant than the metal itself. Some of these bare metallic elements are shipped to MT Aerospace in Augsburg, Germany, for further assembly.The remaining parts are assembled at ATC Space into the forward and rear skirts that will ‘dress up’ the top and bottom of each booster motor. The boosters, known technically as Equipped Solid Rockets (ESRs), are 22 metres long and have a diameter of 3.4 metres. The forward skirt joins the front of the booster to the central core of the rocket, while the rear skirt, fitted to the lower part of the engine, needs to bear the weight of the entire rocket – up to 860 tonnes at liftoff. To make sure it is durable enough, the rear skirt undergoes rigorous testing at the Czech Aerospace Research Centre (VZLU).The finished skirts as well as the individual parts are ready to be assembled into other segments of the rocket then embark on the first part of their terrestrial journey, to Germany.
GKN Aerospace – pumping it up and keeping it coolGKN Aerospace has been part of the Ariane programme for more than 50 years. For Ariane 6, the company provides the turbines and the nozzle extension for the Vulcain 2.1 rocket engine and the turbines for the Vinci engine.Turbines are used to drive the fuel pumps of Ariane 6 engines by maintaining the ideal combustion pressure and speed. This system is essential for delivering large amounts of propellant at high pressure, ensuring continuous propulsion to reach and sustain orbital trajectories.Nozzles are indispensable pieces in a rocket, as they direct the thrust and flow of exhaust gases during launches. This means heat, lots of it! In fact, exhaust temperatures can reach up to 4000ºC. But Ariane 6’s metallic nozzles contain a tiny secret: advanced cooling. Over a thousand small cooling channels run through the nozzle’s millimetre-thin wall. Liquid hydrogen flows through these channels, which helps maintain the nozzle’s structural integrity by cooling it down.
Irish space electronics company Réaltra Space Systems Engineering has been awarded a €1.5 million contract by ArianeGroup to supply seven Independent Video Kits (VIKIs) that will provide live onboard video telemetry during Ariane 6 launches.
ArianeGroup@ArianeGroup#Ariane6 : A 100% European industrial puzzleFrom the outside, it of course looks like a rocket. But behind Ariane 6 it’s much more than a launch vehicle: the whole of Europe is involved in cooperating, inventing and assembling. 🇪🇺
Upgrades are being worked on for Ariane 6 to reduce costs, to make the launch system more robust and launch more often and increase global competitiveness. This provides institutional missions with dependable European launchers that function as critical enablers, upholding Europe’s autonomy and ensuring assured launch capability. Both Vega-C and Ariane 6 will benefit from the more powerful P160C rocket motor that will replace the current P120C.
After firing up on ground at Europe’s Spaceport during a hot-fire test in April, the P160C solid propellant rocket motor has been thoroughly analysed, with a qualification review confirming its use for flight.[...]The P120C is currently used as a booster for the Ariane 6 rocket, and as the first stage for the Vega-C launcher. The upgraded P160C carries over 14 tonnes more solid fuel, increasing both rockets’ performance, increasing their payload capacity and competitiveness.“Passing the qualification review is always a huge milestone in space design: independent teams have assessed the data packages, analysed the technical files and confirmed our design is robust,” says Alessandro Ciucci, ESA’s Programme Manager for both P120C and P160C.”First flight and increased productionThe first time P160C will be used is on Ariane 6, in a four-booster configuration providing the most powerful liftoff for Ariane 6 so far and scheduled for next year. The first four P160C solid-propellant rocket motors will now be integrated into four Ariane 6 boosters, ready for its flight.Its debut on the Vega-C rocket is currently planned in 2028 with Space Rider.With more launches foreseen, the ramp-up of production is building up to an industrial capacity of making 35 or more of the solid-propellant rocket motors a year.The P160C has three main components. The first is the composite structure, manufactured by Avio in Colleferro, near Rome in Italy, obtained by filament winding and automated layup of carbon and epoxy pre-preg fibres. The second is the nozzle manufactured by ArianeGroup at its Le Haillan site near Bordeaux in France. It is made of composites materials, allowing the motor’s extremely hot gases – 3000°C –to be ejected at very high speed providing thrust. The nozzle is gimballed to control the flight of the launcher. Propellant loading and final motor integration are carried out by Avio and ArianeGroup joint subsidiaries in French Guiana (Regulus and Europropulsion).The third element of P160C is the carbon-fibre composite igniter that ensures proper ignition of the motor. They are manufactured by Nammo in Raufoss, Norway, under Avio responsibility.
Thales Alenia Space announces the signing of a contract to supply 179 electronic units to equip 27 Ariane 6 launchers. The contract was signed today with SABCA, the Belgian firm responsible for the launcher’s Thrust Vector Actuation Systems (TVAS), in which the units built by Thales Alenia Space in Belgium will be integrated. These units provide the electronics to power and control these subsystems in each of Ariane 6’s stages and boosters to keep it on course after launch.
