Airbus Defence and Space has completed the first filament winding operations on a motor case for the future European Ariane 6 launcher.
Airbus Defence and Space has completed the first filament winding operations on a motor case for the future European Ariane 6 launcher.
The solid-propellant launcher motor case acts as both the propellant tank and more importantly, the structure of the launcher.
The unit will be the largest carbon motor case ever produced in Europe.
This first major stage in the production is funded by French space agency CNES, as part of the French Investment for the Future Programme and France’s contribution to European Space Agency’s Ariane 6 programme.
This operation follows on from the production of the first elements of the upper stage common to Ariane 5 ME and Ariane 6.
Ariane 6 is a smaller more flexible 3-stage rocket, featuring the same payload fairing diameter as the Ariane 5 ME and capable of launching a single satellite of 3 to 6.5 tonnes to a geostationary transfer orbit.
The first stage uses three identical solid rocket motors in a side-by-side configuration, the second stage will use a single identical solid rocket motor mounted above the first stage, the third stage will be a restartable Snecma Vinci liquid cryogenic engine.
