Air Liquide signs a new agreement for the future European launch vehicle, Ariane 6

The consortium formed by Air Liquide, Latecoere Services and Cegelec has been chosen by the CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales - National Center for Space Studies) to design and supply the On-Board/Ground transfer systems for the future European launch vehicle Ariane 6. A long-time partner of the European space program, Air Liquide continues to provide cryogenics expertise for the development of the future Ariane 6 launch vehicle, whose first launch is due in 2020.

Under this contract, Air Liquide is in charge of designing, producing, and installing the flexible transfer lines that will be used to refuel the launch vehicle with cryogenic propellant on the ground, right up until the very last moment before launch. These transfer lines are automatically disconnected upon take-off to ensure the launch vehicle's security. This cryogenic equipment will be used on the new ELA4 launch complex built for Ariane 6. This new agreement comes on top of the contracts signed by Air Liquide at the end of 2016, and is part of a full range of high-tech on-board and ground equipment, gases and related services developed by the Group.

Thanks to the experience it has acquired in over 50 years’ in the industry, Air Liquide has developed unrivalled cryogenic expertise, meaning it can partner all the major international space projects, including the Ariane program. Air Liquide is the design definition authority for cryogenic equipment on the future Ariane 6 launch vehicle, and is responsible for its thermal and functional analysis.

To find out more about Air Liquide, come and meet us in Hall 2A, booth B275 of the International Paris Air Show in Le Bourget until June 25.

© CNES – PEUS Christophe 2017