Air Liquide to design the new generation of tanks for the future Vega-E space launcher

  • Space
Air Liquide has signed a contract with Avio, a leader in space propulsion, to design the new cryogenic tank for the upper stage of the future Vega-E launcher. This new generation of tank responds to the emergence of oxygen-methane propellant for tomorrow's launchers.

Avio and the European Space Agency (ESA) have entrusted Air Liquide with the first phase of the design of the cryogenic tank located in the upper stage of the Vega-E (Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avantaza-Evolution) rocket containing liquid oxygen and methane. The cryogenic tank will store oxygen at -182°C and methane at -161°C. The Vega-E launchers are scheduled to enter service in 2026 to launch medium class satellites in low-Earth-orbit (LEO) from the Kourou base in French Guiana.

Air Liquide has been a recognized partner of the space industry for over 50 years. The Group's expertise includes launch infrastructures, on-board cryogenics for satellites, and ground test equipment for launchers and satellites. Building on this experience, Air Liquide has been anticipating the development of oxygen-methane propellants for tomorrow's launchers for several years now by setting up test facilities at its Campus Technologies Grenoble, France.

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