Credit: ESA / CNES / Optique video du CSG / S. Martin
The European Space Agency has completed the qualification review of the P160C solid-fuel booster upgrade for Ariane 6 and Vega C, confirming that it is ready for operational use. The booster is expected to be used for the first time next year aboard an Ariane 6 rocket.
In March 2022, ESA announced that it would fund the development of an upgraded variant of the P120C booster, initially referred to as the P120C+ and later renamed P160C. At over 14 metres tall and 3.4 metres in diameter, the P160C booster carries an additional 14 tonnes of solid propellant, bringing its total propellant load to approximately 160 tonnes.
On 24 April, the P160C booster was test-fired for the first time on the BEAP test stand at the Guiana Space Centre. On 19 December, ESA announced that, following a thorough review of data collected during the April test firing, the agency had concluded the booster’s qualification review and confirmed it for operational use.
“Passing the qualification review is always a huge milestone in space design: independent teams have assessed the data packages, analysed the technical files, and confirmed our design is robust,” said Alessandro Ciucci, the programme manager at ESA for the P120C and P160C boosters.
The P160C booster will make its debut in 2026 aboard the Ariane 6 rocket in its four-booster configuration, referred to as Ariane 64. To date, Ariane 6 has only been launched in its two-booster configuration, with the first Ariane 64 mission expected in early 2026.
Use of the P160C booster aboard the Vega C rocket is not expected until 2028, when it will carry ESA’s reusable Space Rider vehicle on its inaugural mission.
While there is no public explanation for why it will take two years longer to introduce the booster aboard a Vega C rocket, this may be because early production will be primarily focused on supporting Ariane 6 flights that require the additional performance, most notably launches for the Amazon LEO satellite constellation. Of the 18 Ariane 6 flights Amazon has contracted Arianespace to perform, only two are expected to use Ariane 64 rockets equipped with the less powerful P120C boosters.
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