Launchers

Access to space has been a major European concern since the 1960s. The failures of the "Europa" rocket pogramme have been followed by the "Ariane" success story, the launch of which began in 1973.

The Belgians were presents from the start of this saga and the know-how of the Belgian industry is present on the 3 launchers operated from the Guyanese Space Centre (CSG): Ariane, Soyouz and Vega, as well as on the launch base, infrastructure and ground equipment.

Current European launchers

Ariane 6

The Ariane 6 development programme was decided at the ESA Ministerial Council held in Luxembourg in 2014 to guarantee Europe access to space without requiring public sector support for commercial exploitation.
The objective was to be able to qualify this new launcher from 2020 in order to fully exploit it from 2023.

The technical choice fell on a PHH version (first stage based on solid propulsion (P = powder) while the second and third are based on liquid propulsion (H = hydrogen)), thus allowing:

maximize synergies with the VEGA launcher by developing a solid propulsion engine common to the two launchers, the P-120;
to have a more modular Ariane-6 launcher by offering two versions, A62 with two solid rocket motors, mainly dedicated to institutional missions and Ariane-64 which includes 4 solid rocket motors for commercial missions. Depending on the version, the new launcher will have the capacity to place satellites with a mass of 5 or 10.5 tons in a geostationary transfer orbit.

The development of the Ariane 6 launch system is now entering its final phase and the development, production and pre-marketing of the first batch of 14 Ariane 6 launchers have started. Nevertheless, certain technical (linked to new technological) or human (such as the 2017 strike in Guyana or the Covid-19 health crisis) hazards have delayed the entire programme and the qualification flight initially scheduled for July 2020 is now scheduled for second quarter 2022.

Vega-C

In 2014, the ESA Ministerial Council also decided to finance the evolutions of the Vega launcher through the Vega-C programme.
Vega-C is the successor to the Vega rocket, developed at a cost similar to that of its predecessor.

Its main feature is that it shares its first stage with Ariane 6, which then uses it as a booster propellant, hence the addition of the letter "C", for "common". The P120C stage therefore acts as a common engine for the two launchers. This is a way of optimizing developments and therefore reducing costs.

The inaugural flight of Vega-C should have taken place in September 2019 but following the failure of July 2019 and delays related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this flight is currently scheduled for the start of the second half of 2021.

Launchers under development

Vega-E

The Vega launcher continues to evolve with a new version likely to emerge around 2025: Vega-E.

Vega-E will be an iteration of Vega-C, since this future version was conceived from the outset as a modular platform. With the development of this new version, it is a question of replacing the two upper stages with a new cryogenic stage. Like Vega and Vega-C, Vega-E will focus on the small satellite market.

Future technologies

FLPP NEO - Future Launchers Preparatory Programme - New Economic Opportunities

The Preparatory Programme for future launchers was decided at the ESA Ministerial Council in Berlin in 2005. It aims to prepare the technical and programmatic elements that should allow an informed decision on the best-qualified launch system to meet future institutional needs while maintaining competitiveness in the commercial market.

At the ESA Ministerial Council in Lucerne in 2016, it was decided to extend the third period of the FLPP. This third period of the programme / NEO (New Economic Opportunities) is above all focused on integrated systems, technologies and demonstrators.

The activities of the third NEO period are underway and are carried out in synergy with the development of new development programmes.

FLPP - Prometheus (Precursor Reusable Oxygen METHan cost Effective Engine)

The Prometheus programme aims to develop a reusable oxygen-methane rocket engine, thus reducing the cost of a mission. It will have to adapt not only to the Ariane 6 launcher under development, but also to future launchers.

Based on the massive use of additive printing (or 3D printing), coupled with mass production with a rate of 50 engines per year, it will allow the production cost to be divided by 10 compared to the Vulcain 2 engine that equips currently Ariane 5, ie a unit cost of € 1 million.

To the technological breakthrough, Prometheus adds a breakthrough in terms of costs.
The Prometheus engine could see the light of day before 2030, offering new opportunities for the European Union.

It is developed by ArianeGroup on behalf of ESA

FLPP - Themis

The objective of the Themis programme is to develop a demonstrator to validate the technologies required for a 1st stage operating on liquid oxygen and methane, reusable and at low cost.

If these technologies are validated, this new stage should equip the generation of launchers which will take over from the future Ariane 6 by 2030.

The Themis project is developed on behalf of ESA through ArianeWorks which is an innovation platform launched by CNES and ArianeGroup and intended to accelerate the preparation of future generations of European rockets.

Space Rider

The Space Rider programme, which follows on from the IXV programme, has the long-term objective of defining and developing a reusable and affordable European space transportation system, which will be launched by Vega-C.

This spacecraft, whose first mission is scheduled for 2023, is designed to make it possible to carry out in space, over a period of a few months, the experimentation and demonstration of various applications in microgravity while having the capacity to bring back ground results.

Contact

Matthias Piens
Space Research & Applications

Bram Van Droogenbroeck
Space Research & Applications