The European Space Agency (ESA) is poised for a critical launch of its Vega-C rocket, marking its return to flight after a two-year hiatus. This mission, carrying the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite, is scheduled to lift off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aiming for a Sun-synchronous orbit. The launch will be broadcast live on ESA Web TV.
This third flight for Vega-C holds significant weight, following a previous mission failure that resulted in payload loss. The rocket’s inaugural launch in July 2022 was a resounding success, flawlessly delivering the Italian Space Agency’s LARES-2 satellite. However, the second mission in December 2022, carrying Airbus’ Pleiades Neo Earth-imaging satellites, encountered a critical issue with the Zefiro 40 second stage, leading to mission termination.
Investigations pinpointed a progressive deterioration of the second-stage nozzle as the cause of the failure. This prompted a comprehensive redesign of the nozzle, requiring a substantial investment of time and resources. After two years, the redesigned Vega-C is now ready for launch, providing a much-needed boost to Europe’s space launch capabilities.
The Vega-C, developed by ESA and built by the Italian company Avio, is operated by Arianespace. Envisioned as a successor to the decade-old Vega launcher, Vega-C boasts enhanced first and second stages, along with an upgraded re-ignitable upper stage. This medium-lift rocket possesses the capability to deliver 3.3 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 2.2 metric tons to polar orbit.
The return of Vega-C comes on the heels of the debut flight of Europe’s next-generation rocket, Ariane 6. While Ariane 6’s inaugural launch in July marked a significant milestone, it also faced challenges with its upper stage deorbit burn. Consequently, the second Ariane 6 mission has been postponed to early next year.
This upcoming launch is crucial for Vega-C, representing a significant test of the redesigned rocket and its ability to reliably deliver payloads to orbit. The success of this mission holds implications for future European space endeavors.
The two-year hiatus and subsequent redesign underscore the complexities and challenges inherent in space launch technology. The upcoming Vega-C launch carries the hopes of the European space industry, aiming to re-establish the rocket’s reliability and contribute to the ongoing advancement of space exploration.
