Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands is developing, building, testing and qualifying two engine frames for the new Ariane 6 launch vehicle, a program of the European Space Agency. The main engine frame for the lower propulsion module Vulcain engine and the engine frame for the upper propulsion module Vinci engine. The contract includes the delivery of the flight models for the first Ariane 6 launch in 2020.

‘Our investment in an owned state-of-the-art smart factory to fulfil this challenging task, secured the Netherlands with a high-tech space assignment for the next decennia’, says Arnaud de Jong, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands. ‘In September, we delivered the qualification model of the Vinci Thrust Frame, with that marking a milestone in the challenging past 1.5 years in which a completely new smart factory has been approved, designed, built, equipped and commissioned for the Ariane 6 structures assignment.’

Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands has been involved in the Ariane launcher family from the early start. The current production and delivery of the engine frames for Ariane 5 will continue during the years to come and will ramp down until Ariane 6 reaches its full operational capability.