Vega, light launcher, Avio S.p.A., Colleferro, Roma

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Manufacturer - Avio S.p.A.

arianespace.com/vehicle/vega

Vega on Wikipedia

VEGA (Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata, Advanced Generation European Carrier Rocket)

 

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Vega - first launch - 13 February 2012

Published on Apr 23, 2013

 

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Sentinel-2A liftoff

Published on Jun 22, 2015

Replay of the Sentinel-2A liftoff on a Vega launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 01:52 GMT (03:52 CEST) on 23 June 2015.

Sentinel-2A is the second satellite to be launched for Europe’s Copernicus environment monitoring programme.

Designed as a two-satellite constellation – Sentinel-2A and -2B – the Sentinel-2 mission carries an innovative wide swath high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of our land and vegetation. This information will be used for agricultural and forestry practices and for helping manage food security. It will also provide information on pollution in lakes and coastal waters. Images of floods, volcanic eruptions and landslides contribute to disaster mapping and help humanitarian relief efforts.

 

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Liftoff of the Vega mission with SkySats-4 to -7 and PeruSAT-1

Published on Sep 15, 2016

Arianespace has successfully launched the PeruSAT-1 satellite, within the scope of a contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the Peruvian space agency CONIDA, and the SkySat-4 to -7 satellites for American operator Terra Bella, a Google company.

The launch took place on September 15 at 10:43:35 pm local time from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
Designated Flight VV07, this was Arianespace’s seventh launch of the year and also the seventh consecutive successful launch by Vega, the latest member of the Arianespace launcher family, introduced at the Guiana Space Center in 2012. Vega is especially well suited to the dynamic Earth observation market. With this launch it starts full-fledged commercial operation, and already has nine future launches in its order book.

 

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Vega rocket launches GOKTURK-1 satellite

Published on Dec 5, 2016

A Vega launch vehicle launched GOKTURK-1 satellite from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 5 December 2016, at 13:51 UTC (10:51 local time). G?KT?RK-1 is the first Turkish governmental satellite for Earth observation and is capable of imaging the entire globe in 72 hours. VV08 is the eighth Vega mission since the launcher began operations at the Guiana Space Center in 2012.

 

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Arianespace Flight VV09 / Sentinel-2B

Published on Mar 6, 2017

FLIGHT VV09: ARIANESPACE USES VEGA TO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCH THE SENTINEL-2B SATELLITE FOR EUROPE’S COPERNICUS PROGRAM

Arianespace has successfully launched the Sentinel-2B satellite for the European Commission within the scope of a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA).

The launch took place on Monday, March 6, at 10:49 p.m. local time from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

This was the third launch of the year for Arianespace and the first in 2017 with the Vega light launcher. It also marked the ninth successful launch in a row for Vega, which made its debut at the Guiana Space Center in 2012.

With this latest successful launch, Arianespace once again demonstrates its commitment to sustainable development, while also carrying out its mission of guaranteeing European independent access to space.

 

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Liftoff of the Vega mission with OPTSAT-3000 and Venµs

Published on Aug 1, 2017

Arianespace's latest Vega mission is now underway following a late-night liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

The flight will last 1 hour and 37 minutes from liftoff to separation of its two passengers, OPTSAT-3000 and Venµs – both of which will be placed into Sun-synchronous orbit.

Vegetation and Environment monitoring on a New Micro-Satellite (VENµS) on Wikipedia

 

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Vega Rocket Launches Morocco’s Mohammed VI - A Satellite (Flight VV11)

Published on Nov 7, 2017

ArianeSpace's Vega Rocket has successfully launched Morocco’s Mohammed VI – A satellite into a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). Liftoff occurred at 22:42 local time (01:42 UTC) from the Centre Spatial Guyanais in Kourou, French Guiana. The Mohammed VI – A spacecraft is Morocco’s second satellite and the country’s first dedicated to high-resolution imaging.

 

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Arianespace Flight VV12 - Aeolus launch successful

Published on Aug 22, 2018

Since its creation in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company, Arianespace has led the launch services industry with many operational firsts and numerous record-setting missions.

Vega launches Aeolus

Published on Aug 22, 2018

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV12) launched the Aeolus satellite from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 22 August 2018, at 21:20 UTC (18:20 local time). European Space Agency’s Atmospheric Dynamics Mission Aeolus is the first space mission to acquire profiles of the wind on a global scale. The observations will improve the accuracy of numerical weather and climate prediction and advance our understanding of tropical dynamics and processes relevant to climate variability.

Credit: Arianespace

 

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Vega launches Mohammed VI-B satellite

Published on Nov 20, 2018

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV13) launched the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 21 November 2018, at 01:42:31 UTC (20 November, at 22:42:31 local time). The Mohammed VI-B satellite is an Earth observation satellite built for the Kingdom of Morocco by Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime. It will be the second satellite of the program, with the Mohammed VI-A satellite launched by Arianespace on 7 November 2017.

Credit: Arianespace

 

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Vega launches PRISMA

Published on Mar 21, 2019

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV14) launched the PRISMA Earth observation satellite from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 22 March 2019, at 01:50:35 UTC (21 March, at 22:50:35 local time). PRISMA (PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa) was built for the ASI Italian space agency by OHB ITALIA and LEONARDO. PRISMA will employ its capabilities for environmental monitoring, resources management, identification and classification of crops, fight against pollution, etc.

 

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Vega failed launch with FalconEye1

Published on Jul 10, 2019

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV15) launched the FalconEye1 Earth observation satellite from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 11 July 2019, at 01:53:03 UTC (10 July, at 22:53:03 local time).
According to Arianespace: "Approximately two minutes after the Vega launcher’s liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana, a launcher anomaly occurred shortly after ignition of the Zefiro 23 second stage – leading to the premature end of the mission. Data analyses are in progress to clarify the reasons for this failure. An independent inquiry commission will be set up in the coming hours."
The Falcon Eye satellite was a high performance optical Earth-observation satellite system for the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAEAF) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor and Thales Alenia Space as co-prime.

 

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Vega launches SSMS PoC

Sep 3, 2020

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV16) launched 53 satellites on the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) Proof of Concept (PoC) Flight, from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 3 September 2020, at 01:51:10 UTC (2 September, at 22:51:10 local time).

 

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Vega launches SEOSAT-Ingenio and TARANIS

Nov 16, 2020

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV17) launched two satellites, SEOSAT-Ingenio and TARANIS, from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 17 November 2020, at 01:52 UTC (17 November, at 22:52 local time). SEOSAT-Ingenio is a high-resolution optical imaging mission, the first Spanish Earth observation satellite. TARANIS (Tool for the Analysis of RAdiation from lightNIng and Sprites) is the first satellite designed to observe luminous, radiative and electromagnetic phenomena occurring at altitudes of 20 to 100 km over thunderstorms.

"Vega launch fails after upper stage malfunction"

by Jeff Foust
November 16, 2020

 

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Article "Human error blamed for Vega launch failure"

by Jeff Foust
November 17, 2020

 

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Vega launches Pléiades Neo 3

Apr 29, 2021

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV18) launched the Pléiades Neo 3 satellite and five auxiliary payloads (NorSat-3 and 4 cubesats) from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 29 April 2021, at 01:50​ UTC (28 April, at 22:50 local time). Pléiades Neo 3 is the first satellite of the Pléiades Neo constellation, the first European Earth observation satellite constellation at 30 cm resolution.

 

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Vega launches Pléiades Neo 4

Aug 17, 2021

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV19) launched the Pléiades Neo 4 satellite and four auxiliary payloads (CubeSats: BRO-4, SUNSTORM, LEDSAT, RADCUBE) from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 17 August 2021, at 01:47 UTC (16 August, at 22:47 local time). Pléiades Neo 4 is the second of four satellites of the Pléiades Neo constellation, the first European Earth observation satellite constellation at 30 cm resolution.
Credit: Arianespace

 

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Vega launches CERES 1, 2 and 3

Nov 16, 2021

An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle (Flight VV20) launched the CERES 1, 2 and 3 satellites from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana, on 16 November 2021, at 09:27 UTC (06:27 local time). The CERES (CapacitÉ de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale) program comprises three satellites flying in formation into Sun-synchronous orbit. The total payload for the mission is approximately 1548 kg.

 

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Vega-C launch

Jul 13, 2022

The first launch of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) new Vega-C launch vehicle lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 July 2022, at 13:13 UTC (10:13 local time). The main payload for the maiden flight (VV21) is LARES-2, a scientific mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), while six CubeSats make a secondary payload package: AstroBio CubeSat, Greencube, ALPHA, Trisat-R, MTCube-2 and Celesta. Vega-C is an upgraded and more powerful version of the current Vega launch vehicle, with 800 kg more payload performance. Vega-C features a new, more powerful first stage (P120C), a new second stage (Zefiro-40), the same third stage (Zefiro-9) as used on Vega and an improved re-ignitable upper stage (AVUM+).

 

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Vega-C launch anomaly

Dec 21, 2022

For Arianespace’s VV22 mission, a Vega-C launch vehicle launched the Pléiades Neo 5 and 6 satellites into Sun-synchronous orbit, from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, on 21 December 2022, at 01:47 UTC (20 December, at 22:47 local time). Due to a problem with the second stage, the mission did not reach the intended orbit. Pléiades Neo 5 and 6 (1977 kg) were the two final satellites of the Pléiades Neo Earth observation constellation.