The Manufacturing Readiness Review (MRR), held at the beginning of May at CIRA in the presence of the Technical Officer of the European Space Agency (ESA), officially marked the beginning of the production stage, at our Centre, of the first technological model of the Interstage 2-3 of the new VEGA C European space launcher, the first flight of which has been scheduled for 2020.

The activities, carried out in collaboration with Avio, regard the development of the Interstage with a composite Grid structure, an extremely efficient technique that will be applied for the first time ever on a European launcher.

All aspects linked to its production, ranging between the sizing optimisation methods to the choice of materials and, above all, the manufacturing technology, have been developed and perfected by CIRA, in particular by the Composite Material Prototype Laboratory that, with its advanced systems, is in charge of the design and production of innovative prototypes in composite material of interest for the aerospace sector. 

The technology used foresees the automated winding of the dry carbon-fibre preform, by means of a by means of a PRMC Laboratory-patented parallel winding process, the subsequent resin infusion by means of vacuum bagging.

By the end of July 2018, the component produced will be subjected to important structural and functional tests, and once these have been carried out, the CIRA technology will be transferred to the Avio plant in Colleferro where the Qualification Model and finally, the Flight Unit will be produced with the support of CIRA trainers.

The Composite Material Prototype Laboratory (PRMC), which represents the state-of-the art in Europe on the subject of the GRID structure, is currently involved also in other ESA-funded projects relating to the creation of Boom prototypes for a deployable antenna as well as a Central Tube for satellite use.

May 9th, 2018