Vega-C fairing’s trial by sound
Image: The 10-m high fairing of Europe’s inaugural Vega-C launcher atop a structural model of its upper stage, being prepared for acoustic testing within ESA’s Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF) – which is able to simulate the extreme noise of a rocket take-off.Vega-C, due for its first flight next year, is a more powerful version of the current Vega launcher aimed at the thriving small satellite market. Three of its four stages will use solid-propellant motors while its AVUM+ fourth stage – the model of which is seen here attached to the fairing – employs liquid propellant, making it reignitable.The two halves of the fairing weigh in at 450 kg each, made of carbon fibre sandwich panels filled with aluminium honeycomb. They have the vital function of safeguarding launcher payloads during the early part of the launch, not just from atmospheric turbulence but also the high noise levels of the...