Production site visit at AVIO Colleferro

Production site visit was taken at AVIO based in Colleferro, Rome, Italy. Avio is a leading company in the international space industry. The expertise and know-how acquired in over 100 years currently allow Avio to compete with the top players in the segment of solid, liquid and cryogenic space propulsion.

The Group has long standing experience in the design, development and manufacture of solid- and liquid-propellant propulsion systems for space launch vehicles.

We had a chance to have a look into their production of two boosters and the liquid-oxygen turbopump of the Vulcain cryogenic engine of Ariane 5. During composite case manufacturing, a thermal protection is first applied on a metal supporting structure (mandrel) and then polymerized. Subsequently, tows of carbon fibers impregnated with resin (prepreg) are wound ont he thermal protection. More then 4000 km of carbon fibers are wound to produce the first three stages of VEGA launcher.

Their satellite launcher operates from the European Space Centre in the French Guiana. Avio is also full systems integrator through the Vega launcher, of which the subsidiary ELV is prime contractor and which started its activities in the French Guiana in 2012.

Source of information and pictures: www.avio.com, www.meteoweb.eu, Corporate profile of AVIO