AVIO Space

The experience and know-how acquired by BPD during the years allowed them to set up a very successful line of activities and products, in the field of solid, liquid and cryogenic propulsion.

Over the years, Company experience has grown in the following areas:

• Space propulsion:

The space activities began in 1966 with the design, development and ground qualification of the apogee motor for the first-ever European space project: ELDO-Pas.

The Company successfully developed and manufactured solid propellant apogee motors for SIRIO, ECS, METEOSAT, TC and HIPPARCOS satellites, and the IRIS orbital transfer stage, which was launched in 1992 by the NASA Shuttle and put the LAGEOS satellite into orbit.

Since 1984, Avio have designed, qualified and manufactured more than 180 solid propellant boosters and over 3,500 inter-stage separation motors, first for ARIANE 3, then for ARIANE 4 launchers.

Through the participated EUROPROPULSION (50% Avio, 50% Snecma) and the controlled REGULUS (60% Avio, 40% SME) Companies, Avio designed and qualified, and presently manufactures the 230-ton solid propellant rocket motors for the ARIANE 5 launch vehicle (54 produced).

In the ESA programme framework, Avio, through its controlled ELV Company (70 % Avio and 30 % Italian Space Agency ASI), is developing the VEGA Small Launcher.

Avio is also the Prime Contractor of the P-80 Solid Propellant Technological Demonstrator Motor, which will be the biggest monolithic engine in the world and will serve as the first stage of the VEGA Small Launcher. Its technologies will be utilised for the future Ariane 5 2010 booster development.

As a consequence of the experiences achieved in the design and manufacture of turbines, Avio developed, and now manufactures the liquid oxygen turbopump for the cryogenic engines (Vulcain 1 and 2) of the ARIANE 5 launcher. Avio is carrying out a new development programme for the LOX turbopump of the Vinci engine that will equip the future Upper Stage of the improved launcher version.

In the field of satellites, Avio has the capability to design, integrate and test mono-bi propellant and cold gas sub-systems. It supplied ESA and ASI with sub-systems for orbit raising and attitude control of the EURECA, OLYMPUS, ITALSAT 1&2, SAX, TETHERED 1&2, XMM, INTEGRAL and SICRAL satellites.

• Launchers:

- Ariane 1-4 : solid propellant motors such as strap-on boosters and stage separation motors.
- Ariane 5: solid propellant motors such as strap-on boosters and Turbopumps for the Vulcain 1 and Vulcain 2 cryogenic engines.
- Vega small launcher.

• Satellites:

- Solid, liquid, cold gas and electrical orbital propulsion.

• Tactical propulsion:

Avio supplies major tactical missile and rocket manufacturers, such as MBDA (IT),MBDA (FR), DIEHL, Chemring (UK),SIMMEL (IT), Roxel (FR), for a wide range of propulsion systems, from the simple and economic 81 mm rocket, up to the top class and highly sophisticated Hypersonic ASTER 30.

- ASTER 30 motor
- Aspide motor
- Marte MK II motor