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French Guiana
Kourou
2018-2019
Raw Water
82 m
Amiblu Flowtite GRP pipes were installed as part of a massive water discharge system responsible for reducing vibrations at the launch of Ariane 6, the largest European rocket to date.
On March 6, 2025, Ariane 6 successfully completed its second flight from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. A critical contributor to this success was the water deluge system installed beneath and around the launch platform for this largest and most powerful rocket developed in Europe so far.
The system is designed to suppress the intense acoustic energy generated during liftoff. It delivers up to 50 cubic meters of water per second at a velocity of 10.2 meters per second, rapidly flooding the launch platform with water to protect both the rocket and its surroundings.
The water is stored in a huge tank at the top of a concrete water tower. During the rocket launch, a valve at the bottom of the installation is opened. The water is then discharged from the tank through a pipe system that is designed to withstand the immense hydraulic load of up to 7 bars. A system built with the help of Amiblu.
Amiblu Flowtite pressure pipes DN 2500, PN 10 build an over 70 m high vertical shaft inside the tower. The installation was spectacular: First, a GRP elbow was placed at the bottom of the tower and embedded in a concrete block. Afterwards, each 5.5 m long GRP pipe was fixed inside a steel scaffolding framework. The pipe-scaffolding-structures were then lifted one by one with a huge crane, lowered into the concrete water tower, and coupled by their own weight.
Once the vertical pipe assembly was completed, the large water tank was constructed on top of the tower to complete the deluge system.
The reliability of the GRP material and coupling design was essential to ensure safe and consistent operation during rocket launches, where failure could compromise mission success. Through advanced engineering, careful project coordination, and flawless execution, Amiblu contributed significantly to Europe’s most advanced space program to date.
Watch the video below (©European Space Agency – ESA) to see the water deluge system in action as it floods the launch pad with massive volumes of water – a spectacular demonstration of the engineering designed to suppress the intense acoustic energy generated during liftoff.
© Amiblu Holding GmbH, 2025
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