The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Phoebus rocket fuel tank demonstrator.
Lightweight but super-strong. Extremely rigid or flexible and springy. Corrosion-resistant and ideal for complex shapes. All of these benefits come from carbon fibre, and when performance matters it is probably part of the package. Tennis rackets, bicycles, racing cars and airliners are just a few products that rely extensively on this miracle material.
It’s no surprise that modern rockets also perform better thanks to carbon fibre. More formally known as CFRP – carbon fibre reinforced plastic – this mix of super-strong carbon fibres and the binding resin that holds them in place is a great way to reduce the mass of a rocket, and so increase the payload mass it can carry. Ariane 6 and Vega-C both carry CFRP payload fairings, and the body of the P120C solid-fuel rocket motor that serves as Ariane 6’s boosters and the first stage of Vega-C is one of the world’s largest single-piece CFRP structures.
But can CFRP go further, and replace the metallic structures in a rocket’s cryogenic fuel tanks? That is the objective of ESA’s Phoebus programme, which aims to produce upper stage tanks and structures in carbon fibre – and so far it is acing its tests.