Avio S.p.A. is an Italian aerospace company specializing in space propulsion and launch systems. As the prime contractor for the Vega rocket family, including Vega and Vega C, Avio provides launch services for institutional, governmental, and commercial payloads. They are also a subcontractor for the Ariane program, supplying components like boosters and stage separation motors and partners with organizations like the European Space Agency (ESA). Associated keywords include: space launchers, solid-propellant motors, liquid propulsion, Vega, Vega C, Ariane, ESA.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Institutional Shareholder Services recommended that Avio shareholders vote against a set of proposed bylaw amendments.
Avio announced on 29 January that it would convene an Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting on 3 March to vote on several amendments to the company’s bylaws.
The proposed bylaw changes would fix Avio’s board of directors at nine members and alter seat allocation to allow the largest shareholder group to appoint seven directors while minority shareholders would collectively appoint two.
Avio’s U.S. defence propulsion manufacturing facility is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
Avio’s proposed bylaws would permit two minority groups to share the two minority-appointed seats but would require the second group to achieve a minimum level of support to claim a seat.
Under Avio’s proposed bylaws the number of director seats allocated to minority shareholders would fall from three to two.
The P160C motor was developed jointly by ArianeGroup and Avio through the Europropulsion joint venture.
Isar Aerospace, PLD Space, and Avio are European launch companies competing for market share outside U.S. dominance.
Avio is targeting a launch cadence of six per year, up from four, which it characterizes as a 50% increase.
CNES preselected Avio, HyImpulse, Isar Aerospace, MaiaSpace, PLD Space, Rocket Factory Augsburg, and Latitude in July 2022 for allocation at the ELM facility.
Avio’s Vega C rocket will carry the first Pléiades Neo Next satellite into orbit.
SpaceLaunch will procure a Vega C rocket manufactured by Avio to launch Amazonia-1B.
Avio’s Vega C offers increased performance, flexibility, and the ability to accommodate roughly 90% of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
SpaceLaunch is acting as a launch broker for the Amazonia-1B contract rather than negotiating the contract directly with Avio.
Avio is seeking to expand its presence in the global launch market and is entering a new phase following its work with Arianespace.
The contract followed a competitive international tender process and a strategic partnership announcement between SpaceLaunch and Avio in September 2025.
Under the contract, SpaceLaunch will manage mission integration, coordinate with Avio as the launch vehicle prime, and oversee overall launch campaign management for Amazonia-1B.
The Amazonia-1B mission is slated for a 2027 launch aboard Avio’s Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Giulio Ranzo is the CEO of Avio.
The 19 December Avio press release described one customer payload as an Earth observation satellite with a payload mass of 1,000 kilograms, a planned 2028 launch, and placement into an approximately 500-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit.