Italian technological excellence for the launch of the Vega space vector

On September 3, 2020, at 3.51 am Italian time, the Vega space vector, designed and manufactured in Italy by the Italian company Avio, based in Colleferro (Rome), has been successfully launched from the European base of Kourou (French Guyana). It is 30 metres high by 3 meters diameter and over 100 tons of pure Italian technology.

On the 3 stages solid motor - called P80, Zefiro 33 and Zefiro 9 - of the carrier, there is a wide use of “reinforced rubber” for special thermal protection produced by Avio, using a special mixing-calendering system designed and manufactured by Comerio Ercole in Busto Arsizio (Milan).

Comerio Ercole, for the required purpose, supplied a special calendering plant, turnkey configuration, with micrometric high precision calender equipped with several peripherally drilled rolls based on patented Rollblock Plus arrangement and innovative fully hydraulic gap position control Hydrogap. The supply includes also a rubber mixing plant consisting of a 100 lt internal mixer having special rotors geometry and a two-roll mixing mill equipped with hydraulic positioning device Hydrofit.

“We are very proud to have contributed to the success of this important European project: a mix of high technology, passion, perseverance and dedication” commented Riccardo Comerio, CEO of Comerio Ercole - who remembered with pleasure that this is not the first time: “Comerio Ercole in 1969 contributed to launch into orbit his proper technology with the mission Apollo 11, having supplied embroidery machines to an American group linked to Nasa, to produce the famous emblems for the astronauts spacesuits showed to all the world during their first steps onto the lunar surface”.