The P120C is a
solid-fuel rocket
A solid-propellant rocket or solid rocket is a rocket with a rocket engine that uses Rocket propellant#Solid chemical propellants, solid propellants (fuel/oxidizer). The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder. The incepti ...
motor developed for use as the first stage of the
Vega-C
VegaC, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, small-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility.
Approved for devel ...
launch vehicle and as strap-on boosters for the
Ariane 6
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operate ...
. It was developed by
Europropulsion, a joint venture between
Avio
Avio S.p.A. is an Italian company operating in the aerospace sector with its head office in Colleferro near Rome, Italy. Founded in 1908, it is present in Italy and abroad with different commercial offices and 10 production sites. Avio operate ...
and
ArianeGroup
ArianeGroup (formerly Airbus Safran Launchers) is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. It consists of three core ...
, for the
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...
(ESA). The designation "P120C" reflects key characteristics of the motor: "P" stands for ''poudre'' (French for 'powder'), referencing its solid propellant; "120" denoted the original target of 120 tonnes of propellant (later increased to nearly 142 tonnes); and "C" signifies its ''common'' use across multiple launch systems.
As of July 2022, the P120C is the world's largest and most powerful single-piece solid-fuel rocket motor, surpassing the earlier
P80FW used on the original
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, and ...
launcher.
Development and Testing
Initially, production of the P120C was planned to be divided between Avio's main facility in Italy and MT Aerospace in Germany. However, in 2018, ESA decided to consolidate production entirely in Italy, with MT Aerospace focusing on Ariane 6's turbopumps.
The first successful test firing occurred at the
Guiana Space Centre
The Guiana Space Centre (; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approxim ...
in July 2018, lasting 140 seconds and simulating a complete first-stage burn. Subsequent tests in 2019 and 2020 confirmed the motor's flight readiness for both launcher configurations.
Design and Performance
The P120C builds upon the P80's design, utilizing a
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...
casing constructed via
filament winding
Filament winding is a fabrication technique mainly used for manufacturing open (cylinders) or closed end structures (pressure vessels or tanks). This process involves winding filaments under tension over a rotating mandrel. The mandrel rotates ar ...
and fabric deposition techniques. It houses a of HTPB 1912 propellant, a blend of 19%
aluminium powder
Aluminium powder is powdered aluminium.
This was originally produced by mechanical means using a stamp mill to create flakes. Subsequently, a process of spraying molten aluminium to create a powder of droplets was developed by E. J. Hall in the ...
, 69%
ammonium perchlorate
Ammonium perchlorate ("AP") is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a colorless or white solid that is soluble in water. It is a powerful oxidizer. Combined with a fuel, it can be used as a rocket propellant called ammonium perchlorat ...
with 12% of
hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene binder. The motor's thick walls require a of carbon fiber, wound over 33 days in a climate-controlled environment. When operational, the P120C generates an average thrust of .
P160C
In 2022, development began on the P120C+ variant, which would evolve into the P160C. This extended version adds to the motor's length and an additional of propellant.
This upgrade translates to a roughly improvement in lift performance on the Ariane 64 with four boosters.
Notably, 16 of the planned 18
Kuiper
Kuiper is a Dutch occupational surname meaning cooper. Common spelling variants include Kuyper, Kuipers, Kuijper, Kuijpers, Kuypers, and De Kuyper. Notable people with the name include:
Kuiper
* Adrian Kuiper (born 1959), South African crick ...
launches by Ariane 6 will utilize this enhanced booster.
See also
*
P80 (rocket stage)
The P80FW is a retired solid-fuel rocket motor developed as the first stage of the Vega launch vehicle. It was developed by Europropulsion, a joint venture between Avio and ArianeGroup, for the European Space Agency (ESA). The designation " ...
*
Zefiro (rocket stage)
Zefiro is a family of solid-fuel rocket motors developed by Avio and used on the European Space Agency Vega rocket. The name Zefiro derives from the acronym ZEro FIrst stage ROcket, conceived when this motor was intended to be used as first ...
*
Solid rocket
A solid-propellant rocket or solid rocket is a rocket with a rocket engine that uses solid propellants (fuel/ oxidizer). The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder. The inception of gunpowder rockets in warfare can be cr ...
*
Vega (rocket)
Vega (, , ) was a European expendable small-lift launch vehicle developed by Avio and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Designed to carry payloads between into low Earth and pola ...
References
{{Rocket engines
Rocket stages
Solid-fuel rockets