24 November 2006
This new engine will mark a major step forward in solid propulsion technology.
Innovating …
The P80 is the 1st of a new generation of solid rocket boosters. Each of the engine’s materials and components is the result of research into space technologies. The architectures of the igniter and nozzle have been simplified, and performance-enhancing materials have been used for the engine casing and thermal protection.
en réduisant les coûts
All the innovations on the P80 are intended to bring down recurring costs. For the project contractors, P80 is an opportunity to experiment and invest for the future, since the new engine will not only power Vega but also serve as a testbed for technologies that may be employed in the near future on the larger boosters of heavy-lift launchers like Ariane 5.

After the manufacturing and validation phases, the first test rig firing is scheduled for 30 November 2006 in French Guiana, overseen by the Ground Systems Sub-Directorate (SDS) of CNES’s Launchers Directorate (DLA), assisted by Europropulsion.
Teams are pulling out all the stops to make this firing test a success, coming after the successful 1st tests of the Zefiro 9 and Zefiro 23 engines that will power Vega’s 3rd and 2nd stages, respectively.
* BIB : Booster Integration Building
** BETS : Booster Engine Test Stand
** BETS : Booster Engine Test Stand