Zefiro-40
Zefiro-40 is Avio’s solid second-stage motor for Vega-C, manufactured at Colleferro in Italy. ESA describes a 7.6 m motor loaded with over 36 tonnes of propellant; the Vega-C reference gives 1,304 kN average thrust. A redesigned nozzle completed qualification through two static firings in May and October 2024 at Salto di Quirra in Sardinia. The first used high operating pressure and a shorter burn, while the second covered lower pressure and longer duration. These tests qualified the improved nozzle for the launcher’s return to flight.
Identity
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- model
- Kind
- solid-rocket-motor
- Name
- Zefiro-40
- Status
- active
Details
- Description
- Zefiro-40 is Avio’s solid second-stage motor for Vega-C, manufactured at Colleferro in Italy. ESA describes a 7.6 m motor loaded with over 36 tonnes of propellant; the Vega-C reference gives 1,304 kN average thrust. A redesigned nozzle completed qualification through two static firings in May and October 2024 at Salto di Quirra in Sardinia. The first used high operating pressure and a shorter burn, while the second covered lower pressure and longer duration. These tests qualified the improved nozzle for the launcher’s return to flight.
- First Flight Date
- 2022-07-13
- Length
- …
- Propellants
- HTPB solid propellant
- Rocket Specs
- Burn Time
- …
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 09:08:48 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 15:57:03 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used for migration.
- Publisher
- Official vehicle or program source
- Title
- Vega-C official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Publisher
- European Space Agency
- Title
- Vega-C complete for return to flight
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-15
- Note
- ESA identifies Zefiro-40 as Vega-C's second-stage motor with a 92-second burn and about 1300 kN average thrust; the Vega-C inaugural flight was 13 July 2022.
- Publisher
- European Space Agency
- Title
- All solid motors for Vega-C complete qualification tests
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-15
- Note
- Avio publishes Zefiro-40 combustion time of 92.9 seconds and average thrust of 1,304 kN.
- Publisher
- Avio S.p.A.
- Title
- Zefiro 40 motor main characteristics
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-15
- Note
- ESA records Vega-C's VV21 inaugural flight on 13 July 2022 and identifies Zefiro-40 as the second-stage motor.
- Publisher
- European Space Agency
- Title
- Vega-C successfully completes inaugural flight
- Accessed Date
- 2026-10-29
- Note
- ESA, 3 October 2024: redesigned nozzle qualification completed through May and October tests at different pressure regimes; 7.6 m motor and over 36 tonnes propellant.
- Publisher
- European Space Agency
- Title
- Last rocket motor firing clears path for Vega-C launch