The 11.5 m long and 3.4 m diameter insulated P120C motor case is made of carbon composite built in one piece by Avio in Colleferro, Italy.At ArianeGroup in Issac and Le-Haillan, France, new fully robotic production lines have the capability of increasing production by 30% to assemble the rear skirts and build nozzles for the P120C strap-on solid rocket motors. A direct successor system, Ariane 6, is in development. The company requires European institutions to become an anchor customer for the launcher. Currently in development, Ariane 6 will soon continue this adventure.ESA’s Ariane programme has been leading Europe to the forefront of space transportation for over 40 years. The first rolling test of this 8200-tonne structure will be performed this summer.The launch pad flame deflectors were installed at the end of April. De Ariane 5 wordt in Europa in delen gebouwd, waarna hij naar Frans-Guyana wordt verscheept en daar wordt geassembleerd. The Ariane 6 launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is near completion.Ariane 6’s core stage is powered by the Vulcain 2.1 engine, its upper stage is powered by the reignitable Vinci engine.


Ondanks het feit dat er maar twee varianten van de Ariane 6 raket bestaan, zal deze toch voor diverse doeleinden kunnen gebruikt worden aangezien men met deze raket zowel kleine alsook grote en complexe en … ESA extends this by offering more versatility and flexibility with its future Ariane 6. Ariane 6 will be available in two versions depending on the required performance: A62 with two strap-on boosters, and A64 with four.Depending on the orbit, A62 is able to launch payloads of approximately 4000–7000 kg, whereas A64 is able to launch payloads of approximately 11 000–16 000 kg.At over 60 metres tall, Ariane 6 will weigh almost 900 tonnes when launched with a full payload – roughly equivalent to one and a half Airbus A380 passenger aeroplanes.For the development of Ariane 6, ESA is working with an industrial network of more than 600 companies in 13 European countries, including 350 small- and medium-sized enterprises, led by prime contractor ArianeGroup.Meanwhile, France’s space agency, CNES, is preparing the Ariane 6 launch facilities at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.Ariane 6 is scheduled for its first launch in 2021.Ariane 6 will have the flexibility to launch both heavy and light payloads to a wide range of orbits for applications such as Earth observation, telecommunication, meteorology, science, and navigation.Payload carriers allow small satellites lighter than 200 kg to ride 'piggyback' on the launch of the main payload, efficiently combining payloads in the same mission.These adapters have been developed through ESA’s Light satellite Low-cost Launch opportunity initiative.A rideshare ‘multiple launch’ service for small satellites will provide cost-effective launch opportunities for small companies wanting to access the growing space industry.Ariane 6 comprises three stages: two or four strap-on boosters, a core stage and an upper stage.Ariane 6 will be launched from Europe’s Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana (South America).The launch complex covers 170 hectares, with buildings on 18 hectares. A team of experts will examine the results of these tests and once these reviews are successful, these two engines will be qualified for flight.An ArianeGroup facility in Les Mureaux, France, hosts the largest friction stir welding machines in Europe for producing the Ariane 6 cryogenic tanks for Ariane 6’s core stage. The main structures include the Launch Vehicle Assembly Building, the mobile gantry, and launch pad.The launch vehicle assembly building used for horizontal integration and preparation of Ariane 6 stages before rollout to the launch pad, is complete and tools are now being installed.The 90-metre tall metal frame of the mobile gantry is fully constructed and in February cladding started. Built in one piece using carbon fibre, it was cured in an industrial oven instead of an autoclave – Early next year, the P120C solid rocket motor configured for Ariane 6 will be test fired in Kourou to qualify it for flight. Vinci engine hot firing tests have finished successfully. Strapped on to the core stage will be two or four P120C solid-fuel boosters, a technology shared with Vega-C, to provide thrust at liftoff.At DLR-Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen, Germany, hot-firing tests of the Vulcain 2.1 engine are close to completion. Launch contracts are needed for the transitional period of 2020–2023 when the Ariane 5 will be phased out and gradually replaced by the Ariane 6.