The order has been placed by Snecma Moteurs, the French Snecma Group Company specialist for aerospace propulsion systems. The Vulcain thrust chamber forms the heart of the Ariane 5 main engine. Via the valves, regulation of the pressure in the fuel tanks and supply of the engine with the cryogenic fuels liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen takes place.

"By developing the Vulcain-2 thrust chamber system, Astrium has made a significant contribution to strengthening Ariane's position in the competitive markets", stated Dr. Axel Deich, Director Propulsion of Astrium's Space Infrastructure Division.

"By making alterations to the design and introducing innovative production technologies, the engine thrust has been increased up to 135 tons, which is by more than 30 percent compared to the predecessor model.

This corresponds to a performance of four million horsepower. At the same time, the manufacturing costs can be reduced by over 30 percent. The award of the production contract to Astrium underlines our role as the leading thrust chamber manufacturer in Europe."

For Guy Corteel, Head of Large Liquid Propulsion at Snecma Moteurs, "the goal will be to cut the cost of Ariane 5 by half over the present decade compared to today." Every way will have to be used: new designs, new technologies, new processes, new organisations.

The "rocket engine industry" is already implementing such a breakthrough on the Vinci engine: simpler combustion cycle, new low-cost low-cycle technologies in thrust chamber and turbopumps, electro-forming, high speed machining, powder metallurgy, new ball bearings, etc.

The cost reductions of over 30 percent have been achieved through modifications to the production sequence and the introduction of innovative production technologies - including high-performance cutting, which has been promoted by the Bavarian Research Foundation. In this way it was possible to reduce the throughput time for the production of a thrust chamber system by 40 percent.

The order for the production of thrust chamber systems and cryogenic valves for Ariane 5 forms an important basis for the full utilisation of capacity at the Astrium site at Ottobrunn over the coming three years and demonstrates the economic significance of the European launcher.

At Ottobrunn alone the Ariane activities secure 500 highly qualified jobs. And the whole of Bavaria profits from the success of Ariane, with Astrium placing orders worth more than DM 135 million with small and medium-sized businesses in this region each year.

Through "Ariane 5-Plus", which is designed to improve the performance of the European launcher Ariane, Astrium is embarking on a future-oriented development programme. Vinci will be the first European restartable cryogenic upper stage engine and can be tailored to the customer's requirements.

"This restart capability is a focal point of this new development, along with the stepwise increase in the payload capacity from six to twelve tons by 2006. This will enable several payloads to be transported to different orbital positions and lower launch costs", said Deich.

Ottobrunn is responsible for the development of the thrust chamber system of the new upper stage engine. Vinci's first qualification flight is planned to take place in the year 2006.

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