24 Aug 2018
Cometto Providing Two ETL 4 Transporters for APCO Technologies’ Ariane 6 Section Carrier
Topics: APCO Technologies SA, Ariane 6, Centre Spatial Guyanais, Cometto, Elevating Transporters, ETL 4, French Guiana, Guiana Space Centre, UCT, Upper Composite Trailer
APCO Technologies SA has successfully completed the Factory Acceptance Test for the Upper Composite Trailer (UCT)
This complex system, which is as huge as a tennis court (6 m wide, 26 m long) and weighs 180 tons, will be used at the Centre Spatial Guyanais ( Guiana Space Centre ) in French Guiana to safely transfer the Ariane 6 Upper Composite with the Payloads, from the Assembly Building to the Launch Pad.
The development of the UCT started in 2017, and after a delay in the qualification process due to the Covid-19 situation, the system arrived in French Guyana for Commissioning and Final Acceptance Test campaign.
Cometto has been involved in the project with the manufacturing of two 4 axle-lines elevating transporters ETL 4, both powered by electric Power Packs.
The CPU during testing phase. Photograph courtesy of CNES
The machine has been designed especially for the ELA 4 . An unusual feature of the UCT design is that the truck and the trailer are one. The vehicle has two pilot cabins, one at the front, the other at the rear. If it is necessary to change direction, the pilot changes cabs and drives forward in the other direction. Powered by three generators, it travels at a maximum speed of 9.5 km / h and completes the route in 1.5 hours.
Source Cometto and CNES
