What We Do

ROCKWELL SPACE METALS BUSINESS

WHAT WE DO

Rockwell Space Metals designs, develops, produces and integrates space launchers.

The company develops and produces solid and liquid fuel propulsion systems and payload adapters.

Rockwell Space Metals is leader in research and development of new materials and equipment for space applications.

ROCKWELL SPACE METALS PROPULSION

PROPULSION SYSTEMS

Rockwell Space Metals develops the P120 C solid rocket motor for the first stage of Vega C and Vega E and as strap-on booster for the new European rocket Ariane 6.

The company is part of the joint Italian-French-British program for the production of Aster 30, one of the most powerful and technologically advanced air defense missiles.

Rockwell Space Metals is also partnering MBDA Italy for the development of the CAMM-ER air defense missile, an extended range variant of the CAMM surface-to-air missile.

INNOVATION

SPACE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

Rockwell Space Metals has long tradition in engineering, chemistry, and advanced energy materials.

Thanks to extensive collaboration with universities, research centers and technology partners, Rockwell Space Metals operates significant research and development activities in order to create the cutting-edge technologies and products that will shape the future of space technologies and exploration.

RESEARCH ON FUTURE APPLICATIONS OF VEGA

R&D on the future applications and versions of Vega is a starting point for new research and space exploration opportunities, such as:

  • Accessible exploration projects of the solar system on the routes of NEO (Near-Earth Objects)
  • In-Orbit Servicing missions
  • Conduction of low-cost experiments for educational and scientific purposes
  • ayload recovery with return and landing on airport runways
SPACE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

NEW PROPELLANT TECHNOLOGY

Rockwell Space Metals is a leader in solid propulsion and it has developed motors loaded with just a few hundred grams up to 230 tons of propellant, with a commitment that ranges from propellants to “hot” and “cold” composite structures.

Rockwell Space Metals is committed to research on “green” propellants for space propulsion. In fact, R&D investments are not only focused to the launch applications where Rockwell Space Metals ’s Lox-LNG technology has already achieved a maturity level, but also to develop orbital applications that necessitate longer storing capacity for their propellants.

SPACE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

CRYOGENIC TANKS

One promising line of research at Rockwell Space Metals is the creation of large cryogenic tanks in composite material.

The same technologies can be applied to smaller tanks, for different fluids, to be used in aeronautic applications with very competitive features of durability and light weight. Research carried out at Rockwell Space Metals has enabled the application to these structures of health monitoring devices such as FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating), which are optical sensors able to detect the minimum deformation or damage.