Today at 12:30 pm local time in Kourou, French Guiana, French space agency CNES conducted the first ground firing test of the P80 solid rocket motor (SRM) that will power the first stage of the new Vega launcher being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). Carried out on the solid rocket motor test stand at the Guiana Space Center, the test was a success.
Europropulsion is prime contractor for development of this motor, working with:
+ Avio, responsible for the structure, propellant grain (produced in Kourou by Regulus, a subsidiary of Avio (60%) and SNPE Materiaux Energetiques (40%)), and the igniter (produced by APP Stork).
+ Snecma Propulsion Solide (SAFRAN Group), in charge of the nozzle.
+ Sabca, in charge of the thrust vectoring system. Europropulsion assembles the P80 motor in ESA's booster integration building in Kourou.
The success of this first test augurs well for the successful development of the P80 motor, slated for qualification in 2007 and a first launch in 2008.
The P80 solid rocket motor marks a significant advance for Europe in the commercial launch vehicle market, because of its higher performance and lower costs due to new technologies developed through this program. CNES makes a major contribution to development funding for the motor, which is also a technology demonstrator for the next generation of European solid rocket motors.
The P80 is the largest single-unit solid rocket motor (88 metric tons of propellant) with a carbon-epoxy composite wound structure ever tested. The composition of the solid propellant is optimized for higher performance.
The nozzle, featuring a simplified design, is fitted with new thermal protection materials and a new-generation flexible joint that considerably reduces deflection loads. This means that the hydraulic actuators usually used to steer the nozzle for thrust vectoring can be replaced by electromechanical actuators which are lighter and much easier to operate.
