Avio's FD1 Rocket Demonstrator Test Flight Details Revealed
New environmental documents filed by Avio have shed light on the planned FD1 suborbital demonstrator flight test, providing details on the launch facility, vehicle performance, and objectives of the test.
## Avio's FD1 Rocket Demonstrator Test Flight Details Revealed Environmental documents filed by Avio have revealed new details about the company's planned FD1 suborbital demonstrator flight test. The test is being developed under a €181.6 million contract from the Italian government, funded through its €191.5 billion National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The FD1 demonstrator is a 6.3-tonne single-stage vehicle that will be launched from the Italian Ministry of Defence's Salto di Quirra test range on the island of Sardinia. Avio is establishing a temporary launch complex at the test range, which will include storage and handling systems for liquid methane, liquid oxygen, and liquid nitrogen, telemetry and remote-control equipment, power generation, and fire suppression. The elevated launch pad is anchored to concrete blocks resting on the ground, with no groundworks taking place. According to the documents, construction of the testing facility was scheduled to begin in May, with commissioning of the site expected to be concluded in November. ## Vehicle Performance and Objectives The FD1 demonstrator is expected to validate key building blocks for Avio's next-generation launch vehicles beyond Vega E. The vehicle will be powered by the DMX2 rocket engine, a flight-configured version of the company's MR10 methalox engine. The flight will also test the vehicle's avionics and propellant tanks. During the flight, the MR10 rocket engine will power the vehicle to an altitude of around 40 kilometres before shutting down, after which it will coast to a maximum altitude of roughly 70 kilometres. The engine will be reignited at partial thrust for around 8.5 seconds before shutting down again, and the vehicle will then continue on its descent unpowered, splashing down approximately 400 seconds after liftoff, around 20 kilometres from where it was launched. Avio has outlined six main objectives for the flight: verifying the functional behaviour of the MR10 engine, validating pre-ignition operations, assessing propellant management, monitoring stage temperatures during ascent and in low-gravity conditions, demonstrating vehicle-control manoeuvres, and attempting an engine restart during descent. ## Launch Window and Timeline Avio's nine-month 2025 financial report indicated that the FD1 flight demonstration was expected in 2026. However, with commissioning of the site only expected to be concluded in November, Avio would have only a narrow window before the end of the year to complete final launch preparations and conduct the flight if it is to meet its 2026 target. The documents submitted by Avio provide the first detailed look at how the FD1 demonstration will unfold, but neither the documents nor a presentation delivered by Avio at the Mediobanca CEO Conference in Milan on 23 June provide an estimated launch date. ## Conclusion The new details revealed by Avio's environmental documents provide a clearer understanding of the planned FD1 suborbital demonstrator flight test. The test is expected to validate key building blocks for Avio's next-generation launch vehicles and will provide valuable insights into the performance of the FD1 demonstrator. With a narrow window before the end of the year to complete final launch preparations and conduct the flight, Avio will need to work efficiently to meet its 2026 target.
