With a project as huge as producing 10 of Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicles an entire army of companies' expertise is enlisted. And MT Aerospace is one of the companies that will be providing their services.
MT Aerospace will be producing the metallic booster housings, tanks and other lightweight structures for the final 10 Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicles. Orders from Europropulsion (boosters), ArianeGroup (structures) and Eurocryospace (tanks) have been placed to the Augsburg-based space company.
In two years’ time, launch operations for the future European Ariane 6 launch vehicle are to commence at the Kourou space center in French Guiana, South America. To ensure a smooth transition between 2020 and 2022, contracts for the last batch of 10 Ariane 5 launchers were announced by ArianeGroup and Arianespace in January.
MT has already started with the production of the first components under the new contract. This ensures deliveries until 2020 as well as a smooth migration from Ariane 5 to Ariane 6. At the same time, jobs at MT Aerospace in Augsburg will be secured during the transition phase until production of the components for the Ariane 6.
By the time it ships the final set in mid-2020, MT Aerospace will have worked on a total of 93 Ariane 5 launch vehicles. In operation since 1996, this Ariane 5 is the most reliable and successful launcher to date.
MT Aerospace is playing a crucial role in the development and industrialization of the Ariane 6 launcher system. With an industrial work share of around 10 percent, MT Aerospace is developing technical innovations for metal structures for enhancing the competitiveness of this future launch vehicle in its capacity as a risk share partner and cluster prime.
