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.
Arianespace will cease serving as the launch services provider for Vega C after the four launches planned in 2025, with responsibility transitioning to Avio.
Avio operates a solid rocket motor production facility at its base in Italy.
Avio plans to set up its first solid motor production facility in the United States in 2028.
Avio seeks to provide additional capacity to the U.S. industrial base for large solid rocket motor boosters.
ACMI Properties, also known as the American Center for Manufacturing Innovation, is considering all 50 U.S. states for Avio’s first manufacturing facility in the country.
Avio’s recently established U.S.-based subsidiary contracted ACMI Properties on 2024-10-29 to select a location for the factory in the first half of 2025.
Avio operates a facility in French Guiana that hosted Ariane 6’s inaugural launch in July.
Avio is developing an engine powered by liquid oxygen and methane as part of its reusable-technology work.
Raytheon entered a strategic partnership with Italian aerospace firm Avio on 2024-07-23 to develop solid rocket motors for military applications and help address shortages in the U.S. defense industrial base.
Avio found a new supplier for the carbon-carbon nozzle material but experienced a nozzle failure in a static-fire test in June 2023, leading to a redesign of the nozzle.
Avio conducted a static-fire test of the redesigned Zefiro-40 motor on 2024-05-28 at a company test facility in Italy.
Avio’s initial post-test review indicates that the new nozzle assembly performed as expected throughout the scheduled 94-second burning time of the 2024-05-28 test, simulating a nominal in-flight performance.
Avio produces the solid rocket motors used in the Ariane 6 strap-on boosters.
Avio’s revenue from other technology development projects increased from 3,000,000 EUR in the first quarter of 2023 to 14,000,000 EUR in the first quarter of 2024.
Avio reported 80,000,000 EUR in orders in the first quarter of 2024 for defense programs producing motors for air-defense missiles.
Avio received 120,000,000 EUR in defense orders in all of 2023.
European Spaceflight reported on 2023-12-04 that two tanks built for the final Avum upper stage went missing from an Italian factory used by Avio during a renovation of that facility.
ESA and Avio considered using tanks originally built for Vega qualification more than a decade ago, which could have allowed a launch as soon as July 2024 but carried the risk of failing requalification tests.
Avio will take over responsibilities for launch operations and sales of the Vega rocket from Arianespace in a process slated to be completed by mid-2024.
Avio expects to reach an agreement with Arianespace on how to handle the 17 currently contracted Vega launches.