The ‘Fardier’ specialised transport vehicle in front of the mobile gantry. The Fardier(French for dray – a vehicle for carrying heavy loads) carries the P80 first stage of the Vega launcher from the Regulus propellant-loading plant to the launch table.
The Fardier is carrying five metal-and-concrete dummy loads, each weighing 20 tonnes, to simulate the P80 during testing of the mechanical systems that transfer the first stage of the launcher from the Fardier onto the launch table.
During launcher integration, the Fardier will carry the P80 from the Regulus propellant-loading plant to the Vega launch zone.