(spacedaily) - On 30 November, the P80 motor which is to power Vega's first stage will undergo its maiden static firing on the same test pad used to demonstrate Ariane 5's solid booster stages in Kourou, French Guiana, reports Trend.
The Solid Booster Test Bench (BEAP) is the unique test pad at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport. Since 1993, it has seen the successful testing of Ariane 5 Solid Booster Stage (EAP) motors. Of course, none was actually intended to lift off and the facility is equipped with safety systems to prevent a booster breaking loose from the test bench and leaving the ground. In this case, large blades would cut its envelope open, allowing the solid propellant to burn freely without providing any thrust.
Recently, the BEAP has been modified in order to accommodate a different kind of booster for static firing. While it shares its three metre diameter with Ariane 5's booster stages, the P80 motor is much shorter than the 31.2-metre-tall EAP - it is only 11.7 metres high. Nevertheless, it is the largest European solid rocket motor of its kind.