The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
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The second qualification model (QM2) of the solid rocket booster P120C configured for Ariane 6, was transferred from the booster integration building to the test stand to prepare for its hot firing at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The P120C is 13.5 m long and 3.4 m in diameter, and contains 142 tonnes of solid propellant.
Depending on the configuration, two or four P120C motors will be strapped onto the sides of the future Ariane 6 launch vehicle as boosters for liftoff, it will also be used as the first stage for Vega-C.
ESA, France’s CNES space agency, and Europropulsion which is jointly owned by Avio and ArianeGroup, collaborated on this test.