| P160C | |
| Country Of Origin: | |
| Designer: | Avio |
| Manufacturer: | Europropulsion |
| Associated: | Ariane 6, Vega E |
| Predecessor: | P80, P120C |
| Status: | In development |
| Type: | solid |
| Fuel: | HTPB / AP / Al |
The P160C is a solid-fuel rocket engine designed for use as the first stage of the Vega-E and as the boosters of the Ariane 6 Block 2 launch vehicles. The solid rocket motors were developed by Europropulsion, a joint venture of Avio and ArianeGroup, for the European Space Agency. The "C" in the name signifies its "Common" use across these vehicles.[1]
The pedigree of the P160C includes the P80 and P120C.
In 2022, development began on the P120C+ variant, which evolved into the P160C. This extended version adds to the motor's length and an additional of propellant.[2] This upgrade translates to a roughly 2t improvement in lift performance on the Ariane 64 with four boosters.[3] Notably, 16 of the planned 18 Kuiper launches by Ariane 6 will utilize this enhanced booster.
The first P160C solid fuel booster was shipped to the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana in June 2024 in preparation for fueling and static fire tests.[4]