Integration Agreement for Vinci Engine Implemented
Acceptance Testing for the Engine That Powers the Ariane 6 Upper Stage
An agreement under which the integration and acceptance testing of the Vinci engine will be carried out is being implemented by Arianespace and German Aerospace Center (DLR) at the Lampoldshausen site in Germany.
“The Vinci engine plays a decisive role in Europe’s access to space and enhances our capacity for innovation.”
Walther Pelzer, DLR
Plans for a new production building were unveiled on October 24. This new industrial framework for the Vinci engine will foster synergies while ensuring the ramp-up of Ariane 6 production, thereby securing Europe’s independent access to space.
“The Vinci engine truly embodies ArianeGroup’s Franco-German DNA. The engine’s design and key technologies come from Vernon in Normandy, while the combustion chambers are developed and built in Ottobrunn, near Munich,” said Jens Franzeck, Chief Industrial Officer (CIO) of ArianeGroup. “Bringing the engine’s integration to Lampoldshausen reflects the success of our cooperation with DLR and ESA, and reaffirms our ambition for a sovereign and united European space industry.”
“We have every reason to welcome this agreement, which marks the start of seamless integration and testing of the Vinci engine,” said DLR Executive Board member Walther Pelzer, Director General of the German Space Agency. “It represents a strong commitment to Germany in the field of advanced technologies, guaranteeing not only highly qualified jobs, but also strengthening our technological sovereignty. The Vinci engine plays a decisive role in Europe’s access to space and enhances our capacity for innovation.”
Vinci is Europe’s very first re-ignitable cryogenic engine. It incorporates major technological advances and delivers significantly enhanced performance. The engine can be restarted up to five times, providing the flexibility needed for missions involving multiple orbital maneuvers. In the future, up to twelve Vinci engines could be assembled and tested each year in Lampoldshausen before being delivered to Bremen for integration into the Ariane 6 upper stage.
In parallel, the development and production of the liquid oxygen turbopumps for both the Vinci and Vulcain 2.1 engines will be carried out at the site in Vernon. This new allocation of tasks is consistent with the agreement signed in December 2024 by France, Germany, Italy, and the European Space Agency, implementing the decisions taken at previous ESA Ministerial Council meetings.