P120 (rocket stage)

P120 is a solid-fuel first-stage rocket motor in development As of April 2019 by Avio and ArianeGroup through the joint venture Europropulsion on behalf of European Space Agency for use on Vega C and Ariane 6.[2]

P120
Closeup view of P120s of a Ariane 6 mockup at ILA Berlin Air Show 2016
ManufacturerAvio, ArianeGroup
Country of originItaly
Used onAriane 6, Vega-C/E
Derived fromP80
Launch history
StatusIn development
1 stage – P120C[1]
Length11.7 m (460 in)
Diameter3.4 m (130 in)
Empty mass11,000 kg (24,000 lb)
Gross mass154.6 t (341,000 lb)
Propellant mass143.6 t (317,000 lb)
Thrust4,500 kN (1,000,000 lbf)
Specific impulse278.5 s
Burn time132.8 seconds
FuelAluminium-HTPB 1912

It will replace its predecessor P80 as the world's largest and most powerful one-piece solid-fuel rocket engine.[3]

History

The production of P120C was originally planned to be shared by the main Avio facility in Colleferro, Italy and by OHB-owned MT Aerospace facility of Augsburg, Germany. At the 17–18 May 2018 meeting of the ESA launcher program board in it was decided the production of P120C will be done in its full capacity in Italy. Mt Aerospace will instead produce turbo pumps for the upcoming Ariane 6 rocket originally awarded to Avio.[4]

The first test firing of P120C was carried out on 16 July 2018 on the BEAP test bench at the Europe's spaceport Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The test lasted 140 seconds with the motor delivering a maximum thrust of 4,650 kN (1,050,000 lbf), simulating the complete burn time from liftoff and through the first phase of flight. No anomalies were seen and the performance met expectations.[5]

On 28 January 2019 a second test firing of 135 seconds at the Guiana Space Centre qualificated the P120C rocket motor for flight.[6]

Overview

The P120C rocket motor is derived from the first stage of the Vega rocket P80. Like its predecessor, the structural casing is made of carbon fibre, which is built from pre-impregnated epoxy sheets through filament winding and automatic fabric deposition. It will contain 143.6 tons of HTPB 1912 solid propellant composed by 19% of aluminum powder, 69% of ammonium perchlorate with 12% of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene binder.[1]

It takes 3,500 km (2,200 mi) of carbon fibre, wound over 33 days in climate controlled room held at 21 °C to make the engine's 25 cm (9.8 in) thick walls. The finished launcher will carry 143 tonnes of solid fuel and produce an average of 4,500 kN of thrust.[3]

See also

References
  1. "VEGA C: 1° Stage - P120C Motor". Avio. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  2. "Europropulsion". Avio. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  3. Richard Priday (11 June 2018). "This is the fastest rocket on Earth". Wired. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  4. "Germany trades P120 booster production for Ariane 6 turbo pumps, upper stage carbon fiber research". SpaceNews. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  5. "Hot firing proves solid rocket motor for Ariane 6 and Vega-C". ESA. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  6. "Successful second test firing for the P120C solid rocket motor for Ariane 6 and Vega-C". ArianeGroup. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
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