Case Study: Avio Aerospace ensures VEGA launcher structural integrity with Hexagon’s MSC Nastran and Actran

MSC Software helps Avio ensure the VEGA launcher’s structural integrity

Avio Aerospace, a company designing the VEGA satellite launcher for the European Space Agency, faced the critical challenge of ensuring the structural integrity of its rockets against the intense acoustic loads and noise vibrations experienced during launch. To protect sensitive satellite payloads, they turned to vendor Hexagon and its MSC Software solutions, specifically MSC Nastran and Actran, to accurately predict these effects.

Using Hexagon's software, Avio engineers created sophisticated Finite Element Analysis models to simulate the vibro-acoustic response of the launcher's structure. This solution allowed them to efficiently compute natural motion and model both external and internal acoustic environments, overcoming previous limitations. The result was the successful validation of both the VEGA and new VEGA-C launcher designs, ensuring their components can withstand extreme launch conditions and safeguarding critical missions.

Avio Aerospace