P160C
 Ariane 6 lifted off from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana with new P160C boosters. | |
| Manufacturer | Europropulsion |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Italy France |
| Used on | |
| Derived from | P120C |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Total launches | 1 |
| Successes (stage only) | 1 |
| First flight | 17 June 2026 |
| Technical details | |
| Height | 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in) |
| Diameter | 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) |
| Gross mass | 167,000 kg (368,000 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 155,600 kg (343,000 lb) |
| Maximum thrust | 4,780 kN (1,070,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 278.5 s (2.731 km/s) |
| Burn time | 137 seconds |
| Propellant | HTPB / AP / Al |
The P160C is a solid-fuel rocket motor developed for use as the first stage of the Vega C+ mid-life upgrade, the next-generation Vega E, and as strap-on boosters for the Ariane 6 Block 2 launch vehicles. It was developed by Europropulsion, a joint venture between Avio and ArianeGroup, for the European Space Agency (ESA). The designation "P160C" reflects key characteristics of the motor: "P" stands for poudre (French for 'powder'), referring to its solid propellant; "160" denotes the original target of 160 tonnes of propellant; and "C" signifies its common use across multiple launch systems.
The motor was developed largely in response to the increased lift performance requirements of Project Kuiper, Amazon's satellite internet constellation. Compared to its predecessor, the P120C, the P160C adds an additional 14 tonnes (31,000 lb) of solid propellant and is 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) taller. The motor's casing is constructed as a single-piece carbon-fibre composite shell, making it one of the most powerful monolithic solid rocket motors in production worldwide.