# MT Aerospace and ArianeGroup sign prototype development contract for Ariane 6 upper stage

MT Aerospace AG and ArianeGroup GmbH signed a contract to develop and manufacture a large-scale demonstrator (PHOEBUS) for an optimized carbon-fiber upper stage (ICARUS) for Ariane 6. The three-year project aims to reduce weight and increase payload capacity by up to two tons.

- Type: Contract
- Announced: 2021-06-21
- Where: Germany
- Status: announced
- Products: carbon-fiber upper stage demonstrator, cryogenic fuel tanks for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen
- Sectors: [Aerospace Components](https://endata.com/sectors/aerospace-components.md)

## Companies

- [MT Aerospace](https://endata.com/companies/22102.md)
- [ArianeGroup](https://endata.com/companies/3850.md) (customer)

## Sources

- [mt-aerospace.de](https://www.mt-aerospace.de/news-details-en/mt-aerospace-and-arianegroup-sign-prototype-development-contract-for-optimized-ariane-6-upper-stage.html), 2021-06-21: "Over the next three years, an upper stage demonstrator will be developed and manufactured, which will have to prove its functionality in the final system test conducted by ArianeGroup GmbH."

---
Data from Endata (https://endata.com/). Announcements are summarized from public sources and may be incomplete; check the linked originals.