P160C

P160C

Manufacturer	Europropulsion
Country of origin	Italy France European Union
Used on	Ariane 6 (Block 2) Vega C+ Vega E
Derived from	P120C
Launch history
Status	In development
Technical details
Height	14.38 m (47 ft 2 in)
Diameter	3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Propellant mass	167,000 kg (368,000 lb)
Maximum thrust	4,700 kN (1,100,000 lbf)
Propellant	HTPB / AP / Al

The P160C is a solid-fuel rocket motor developed for use as the first stage of the Vega C+ mid-life upgrade, the next-generation Vega E, and as strap-on boosters for the Ariane 6 Block 2 launch vehicles. It was developed by Europropulsion, a joint venture between Avio and ArianeGroup, for the European Space Agency (ESA). The designation "P160C" reflects key characteristics of the motor: "P" stands for poudre (French for 'powder'), referencing its solid propellant; "160" denoted the original target of 160 tonnes of propellant (later increased to 167 tonnes); and "C" signifies its common use across multiple launch systems.

The motor was developed largely in response to the increased lift performance requirements of Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite internet constellation. Compared to its predecessor, the P120C, the P160C adds an additional 14 tonnes (31,000 lb) of solid propellant and is 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) taller. The motor's casing is constructed as a single-piece carbon-fibre composite shell, making it one of the most powerful monolithic solid rocket motors in production worldwide.

History

In 2022, development began on the P120C+ variant, which evolved into the P160C. This extended version adds 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) to the motor's length and an additional 14,000 kilograms (31,000 lb) of propellant, translating to an approximate 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) improvement in lift performance on the Ariane 64 with four boosters.

This extended version was developed in part to meet the lift performance needs of Amazon's Project Kuiper, a broadband satellite constellation. Of the 18 Ariane 6 launches contracted for Kuiper, 16 are expected to use the P160C, totaling 64 booster units—four per launch. This commercial demand provided the business case for developing the upgraded variant.

While the P160C significantly improves performance, Ariane 64 will carry fewer Kuiper satellites per launch than some competing rockets. With the upgraded boosters, it is expected to deliver 35–40 satellites per mission. This compares to 61 aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn, 45 on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur, but exceeds the 27 carried by the Atlas V, which is being phased out.

In June 2024, the first P160C motor case was shipped to the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, in preparation for fueling and static fire tests.

On 24 April 2025, ESA conducted the first hot-fire test of the P160C solid-fuel booster using Qualification Model 3 (QM3) on the solid-propellant booster test stand at the Guiana Space Centre, operated by CNES, the French space agency. The motor fired for over two minutes, delivering a maximum thrust of approximately 4,700 kilonewtons (1,100,000 lb_f), and expended its full propellant load under simulated flight conditions. Preliminary data indicated nominal performance with no anomalies observed. A full post-test analysis will support final qualification.

See also

• P80 (rocket stage)
• Zefiro (rocket stage)
• Solid rocket
• Vega (rocket)