The P160C qualification motor was successfully tested on 24 April 2025 at the European Spaceport in French Guiana, on the solid-propellant booster test stand (BEAP) operated by the French Space Agency (CNES). The successful test firing of the first P160C motor is a major milestone in the development of the future upgrades of Europe’s Ariane 6 and Vega launchers.

The new motor is one meter longer than the previous P120C version and carries over 14 tonnes more solid fuel, increasing considerably Ariane 6 and Vega performance, their payload capacity and their competitiveness.

The extended design of P160C included making the motor one meter longer without affecting the connection interfaces to the Ariane 6 launcher’s central core. These development efforts go hand-in-hand with upgrades to industrial production at ArianeGroup, Avio and their partners, alongside the ongoing production and ramp-up of the P120C motor for upcoming Ariane 6 and Vega-C launches.

The P160C is an upgrade of the P120C motor developed jointly by ArianeGroup and Avio through their 50/50 joint-venture Europropulsion and is one of the world’s largest carbon-fibre one-piece solid-propellant rocket motors. The development programme is managed and funded by the European Space Agency.