At the Paris Air Show Tuesday,
Avio President Pier Giuliano Lasagni told ANSA about the
company's plans for the Vega E, a 'green' rocket launcher engine
that could fly as soon as 2022.
Avio is a manufacturer of engines for Vega European rocket
launchers and headquartered outside Rome.
The Vega E engine follows on the heels of the Vega C, whose
first flight is scheduled for 2018, but unlike its predecessor
is considered 'green' because it uses oxygen and methane as
propellants rather than harmful substances like hydrazine.
Lasagni, who is also chief executive officer, said launcher
engines are "destined to become less costly and easier to build"
thanks to 3D printing, which allows all components to be
produced in one unified piece.
The engine for the Vega E is called Mira, and was developed
in conjunction with the Lyra program financed by the Italian
Space Agency (ASI).
The engine will allow an increase in payload from two to
three tons.
"The Vega E promises to become a war horse for bringing
medium loads into orbit," Lasagni said.
"Even the nose cone of the pitcher will be wider, so as to
accommodate bulkier satellites," he said.
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