Vega is an expendable launch system in use by Arianespace which was jointly developed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Development began in 1998 and the first launch took place from the Centre Spatial Guyanais on 13 February 2012.[6]
Function | Small-lift launch vehicle. |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Avio |
Country of origin | Italy, European Space Agency[a] |
Cost per launch | US$37 million [1] |
Size | |
Height | 30 m (98 ft) |
Diameter | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
Mass | 137,000 kg (302,000 lb) |
Stages | 4 |
Capacity | |
Payload to polar orbit (700 km, i 90°) | |
Mass | 1,430 kg (3,150 lb) |
Payload to elliptical orbit (1500 × 200 km, i 5.4°) | |
Mass | 1,963 kg (4,328 lb) |
Payload to SSO (400 km) | |
Mass | 1,450 kg (3,200 lb) |
Payload to Low Earth Orbit (200 km, i 90°) | |
Mass | 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) |
Associated rockets | |
Comparable | |
Launch history | |
Status | Active |
Launch sites | Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELV |
Total launches |
|
First flight | 13 February 2012 [1] |
Last flight | 9 October 2023 |
First stage – P80[2][3] | |
Height | 11.7 m (38 ft) |
Diameter | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
Empty mass | 7,330 kg (16,160 lb) |
Gross mass | 95,695 kg (210,971 lb) |
Powered by | off |
Maximum thrust | 2,261 kN (508,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 280 s (2.7 km/s) |
Burn time | 107 seconds |
Propellant | HTPB (solid) |
Second stage – Zefiro 23 | |
Height | 8.39 m (27.5 ft) |
Diameter | 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) |
Empty mass | 2,850 kg (6,280 lb) |
Gross mass | 28,850 kg (63,600 lb) |
Powered by | off |
Maximum thrust | 871 kN (196,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 287.5 s (2.819 km/s) |
Burn time | 71,6 seconds |
Propellant | HTPB (solid) [4] |
Third stage – Zefiro 9 | |
Height | 4.12 m (13.5 ft) |
Diameter | 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) |
Empty mass | 1,315 kg (2,899 lb) |
Gross mass | 11,815 kg (26,048 lb) |
Powered by | off |
Maximum thrust | 260 kN (58,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 296 s (2.90 km/s) |
Burn time | 117 seconds |
Propellant | HTPB (solid) [5] |
Upper stage – AVUM | |
Height | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
Diameter | 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) |
Empty mass | 147 kg (324 lb) |
Gross mass | 697 kg (1,537 lb) |
Powered by | 1 × RD-843 |
Maximum thrust | 2.42 kN (540 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 315.5 s (3.094 km/s) |
Burn time | 317 seconds |
Propellant | UDMH / N2O4 |
It is designed to launch small payloads — 300 to 2500 kg satellites for scientific and Earth observation missions to polar and low Earth orbits.[7] The reference Vega mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 1500 kg to an altitude of 700 km.
The rocket, named after the star Vega,[8] is a single-body launcher (no strap-on boosters) with three solid rocket stages: the P80 first stage, the Zefiro 23 second stage, and the Zefiro 9 third stage. The upper module is a liquid rocket called AVUM. The improved version of the P80 stage, the P120C, will also be used as the side boosters of the Ariane 6. Italy is the leading contributor to the Vega program (65%), followed by France (13%).[9] Other participants include Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.[10]
Note: Date and time of start (as count-down zero, ignition or lift-off?) is listed in UTC. (Although local time at Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana, South America is UTC–3.)
Flight | Date / time (UTC) [11] | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV01 | 13 February 2012 10:00:00 |
Vega | ELV | LARES • ALMASat-1 • e-st@r • Goliat • MaSat-1 • PW-Sat • ROBUSTA • UniCubeSat-GG • Xatcobeo | LEO | University of Bologna[12] | Success | |
First Vega launch; Geodetic and Nanosatellite; |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) [11] | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV02 | 7 May 2013 02:06:31 |
Vega | ELV | PROBA-V • VNREDSat 1A • ESTCube-1 | 254.83 kg (561.8 lb) [13] | SSO | ESA • VAST • | Success |
First commercial launch; Earth observation satellite;[14][15] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) [11] | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV03 | 30 April 2014 01:35:15 |
Vega | ELV | KazEOSat 1 | 830 kg (1,830 lb) [16] | SSO | KGS | Success |
Earth observation satellite [17] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV04 | 11 February 2015 13:40:00 |
Vega | ELV | IXV | 1,845 kg (4,068 lb) [18] | TAO | ESA | Success |
Reentry technology demonstration; IXV deployed into a transatmospheric orbit, AVUM briefly entered a low Earth orbit before performing targeted de-orbit.[19][20][21][22][23] | ||||||||
VV05 | 23 June 2015 01:51:58 |
Vega | ELV | Sentinel-2A | 1,130 kg (2,490 lb) [24] | SSO | ESA | Success |
Earth observation satellite [25][26][27][28] | ||||||||
VV06 | 3 December 2015 04:04:00 |
Vega | ELV | LISA Pathfinder | 1,906 kg (4,202 lb) [29] | Halo orbit Earth–Sun L1 | ESA / NASA | Success |
Technology demonstrator[30][31] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV07 | 16 September 2016 01:43:35 |
Vega | ELV | PeruSat-1 • 4 Terra Bella satellites | 870 kg (1,920 lb)[32] | SSO | Peruvian Armed Forces • Terra Bella | Success |
Reconnaissance satellite / Earth observation satellite[33][34] | ||||||||
VV08 | 5 December 2016 13:51:44 |
Vega | ELV | Göktürk-1A | 1,060 kg (2,340 lb)[35] | SSO | Turkish Armed Forces | Success |
Earth observation satellite [36] (IMINT, Reconnaissance) |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV09 | 7 March 2017 01:49:24 |
Vega | ELV | Sentinel-2B | 1,130 kg (2,490 lb)[37] | SSO | ESA | Success |
Earth observation satellite[38][39] | ||||||||
VV10 | 2 August 2017 01:58:33 |
Vega | ELV | OPTSAT-3000 • VENµS | 632 kg (1,393 lb)[40] | SSO | Italian Defense Ministry • ISA/CNES | Success |
IMINT Earth observation satellite[41] | ||||||||
VV11 | 8 November 2017 01:42:31 |
Vega | ELV | Mohammed VI-A (MN35-13A) | 1,110 kg (2,450 lb)[42] | SSO | Morocco | Success |
Earth observation satellite[43] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV12 | 22 August 2018 21:20:09 [44] |
Vega | ELV | ADM-Aeolus[45][46][47] | 1,357 kg (2,992 lb) [48] | SSO | ESA | Success |
Weather satellite | ||||||||
VV13 | 21 November 2018 01:42:31 [49] |
Vega | ELV | Mohammed VI-B (MN35-13B) [49] | 1,108 kg (2,443 lb) [50] | SSO | Morocco | Success |
Earth observation satellite |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV14 | 22 March 2019 01:50:35 [51] |
Vega | ELV | PRISMA[52] | 879 kg (1,938 lb) [53] | SSO | Italian Space Agency | Success |
Earth observation satellite | ||||||||
VV15 | 11 July 2019 01:53 |
Vega | ELV | Falcon Eye 1 | 1,197 kg (2,639 lb) | SSO | UAEAF[54] | Failure [55] |
IMINT (Reconnaissance) – The VV15 launch failure was possibly caused by a thermal protection design flaw on the second stage's forward dome area,[56] and led to reassignment of the FalconEye 2 launch.[57][58] This also led to the highest recorded amount (US$411.21 million) for an insurance claim for a satellite launch failure.[59] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV16 | 3 September 2020 01:51:10 [60] |
Vega | ELV | SSMS PoC Flight, D-Orbit,[61] Spaceflight Industries,[62] SITAEL[63] and ISISpace[64] microsatellites and cubesats (53 satellites). | 756 kg (1,667 lb) [65] | SSO | Various | Success |
Technology demonstration: launch of the Small Satellites Mission Service Dispenser (SSMS Dispenser) Proof of Concept Flight.[66] | ||||||||
VV17 | 17 November 2020 01:52:20 [67] |
Vega | ELV | SEOSat-Ingenio and TARANIS[68][69] | 925 kg (2,039 lb) | SSO | Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) (Spain) and Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), France | Failure [70] |
Earth observation satellite and Study of the atmosphere of the Earth. After ignition of the AVUM upper stage, a trajectory deviation caused failure. Satellites were valued at nearly US$400 million.[70] An assembly error (inverted control cable) was the suspected cause.[70] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV18 | 29 April 2021 01:50 [71] |
Vega | ELV | Pléiades Neo 3 • NorSat-3 • Bravo • ELO Alpha • Lemur-2 × 2 | 1,278 kg (2,818 lb) | SSO | Airbus Defence and Space • NOSA • Aurora Insight • Eutelsat • Spire Global | Success |
Small Satellites Mission Service (SSMS) piggyback mission. | ||||||||
VV19 | 17 August 2021 01:47 [72] |
Vega | ELV | Pléiades Neo 4 • BRO-4 • LEDSAT • RADCUBE • SUNSTORM | 1,029 kg (2,269 lb) | SSO | Airbus Defence and Space • UnseenLabs • Sapienza University of Rome • ESA • C3S Hungary • Reaktor Space Lab | Success |
Small Satellites Mission Service (SSMS) piggyback mission. | ||||||||
VV20 | 16 November 2021 09:27:55[73] |
Vega | ELV | CERES 1/2/3 | 1,548 kg (3,413 lb) | Semi-synchronous orbit (SSO) – New orbit by Vega | CNES • DGA | Success |
SIGINT satellites.[74] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV21 | 13 July 2022 13:13:17[75] |
Vega-C | ELV |
|
350 kg (770 lb) | MEO | Success | |
First flight of Vega-C | ||||||||
VV22 | 21 December 2022 01:47:31[76] |
Vega-C | ELV | Pléiades-Neo 5 • Pléiades-Neo 6 (VHR-2020 3/4) | 1,977 kg (4,359 lb) | SSO | Airbus Defence and Space | Failure |
Earth observation satellites[77] Failure due to loss of pressure of the Zefiro 40 second stage.[78] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV23 | 9 October 2023 01:36[79] |
Vega | ELV | SSO |
|
Success | ||
Earth observation satellites and Small Satellites Mission Service (SSMS) #5 rideshare mission with 10 cubesats. Two cubesats, ANSER-Leader and ESTCube-2, failed to separate from the payload adapter and likely burned in the atmosphere together with the adapter when it was deorbited.[80] |
Date / time (UTC) [11] | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
September 2024[81] | Vega | ELV | Sentinel-2C | SSO |
Third Sentinel-2 Earth observation satellite.[82] Final launch of the base Vega configuration.[83] | ||||
15 November 2024[84] | Vega-C | ELV | Sentinel-1C | SSO |
Third Sentinel-1 satellite. Return to flight for Vega-C following the VV22 launch failure.[85] | ||||
December 2024[86] | Vega-C | ELV | KOMPSAT-6 (Arirang-6) | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. |
Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Q1 2025[87] | Vega-C[88] | ELV | Sentinel-3C | SSO |
Third Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite.[89] | ||||
Q1 2025[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #9 | LEO |
SSMS #9 rideshare mission. Delayed due to the VV22 Vega-C launch failure.[85] | ||||
May 2025[91] | Vega-C | ELV | SMILE | HEO |
Joint Chinese-European Earth observation satellite. | ||||
Q2 2025[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #7 | SSO |
SSMS #7 rideshare mission. | ||||
Mid 2025[92] | Vega-C | ELV | ALTIUS, FLEX | SSO |
ALTIUS is an ozone observation satellite. FLEX is an Earth observation satellite of the Living Planet Programme. | ||||
Q3 2025[93] | Vega-C | ELV | Space Rider | LEO |
Technology demonstration[94] | ||||
Q3 2025[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #13 | SSO |
SSMS #13 rideshare mission. | ||||
November 2025[95] | Vega-C | ELV | PLATiNO-2 / MAIA | SSO |
PLATiNO-2 will host the MAIA instrument payload. | ||||
Q4 2025[96] | Vega-C | ELV | IRIDE × ? | LEO |
First launch for the Italian IRIDE Earth observation satellite constellation. | ||||
Q4 2025[96] | Vega-C | ELV | IRIDE × ? | LEO |
Second launch for the Italian IRIDE Earth observation satellite constellation. | ||||
2025[97] | Vega-C | ELV | EAGLE-1 | LEO |
Demonstrator satellite for the first European sovereign space-based quantum key distribution system. | ||||
2025[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #8 | SSO |
SSMS #8 rideshare mission. | ||||
2025[88] | Vega-C | ELV | Sentinel-1D | SSO |
Fourth Sentinel-1 satellite. | ||||
2025[98] | Vega-C | ELV | BIOMASS | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. Part of the Living Planet Programme. | ||||
TBD[99] | Vega-C | ELV | PLATiNO-1 | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. | ||||
2025[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #6 | SSO |
SSMS #6 rideshare mission. | ||||
2025[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #10 | SSO |
SSMS #10 rideshare mission. | ||||
2025[100] | Vega-C | ELV | CO3D × 4 | SSO |
Earth observation satellites | ||||
2025[101] | Vega-C | ELV | CSG-3 | SSO |
Third COSMO-SkyMed 2nd Generation satellite. | ||||
2025[102] | Vega-C | ELV | MicroCarb | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. | ||||
2025[103][104] | Vega-C[105] | ELV | SHALOM | SSO |
Joint Italian-Israeli hyperspectral imaging satellite. |
Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 2026[106] | Vega-C | ELV | KOMPSAT-7 (Arirang-7) | SSO |
Earth observation satellite[107][108] | ||||
Q1 2026[87] | Vega-C[88] | ELV | CO2M-A (Sentinel-7A) | SSO |
Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
Q2 2026[87] | Vega-C[88] | ELV | CO2M-B (Sentinel-7B) | SSO |
Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
Q2 2026[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #14 | SSO |
SSMS #14 rideshare mission. | ||||
Q3 2026[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #15 | LEO |
SSMS #15 rideshare mission to an equatorial orbit. | ||||
Q3 2026[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #16 | LEO |
SSMS #16 rideshare mission to an equatorial orbit. | ||||
2026[109] | Vega-C | ELV | ClearSpace-1 | LEO |
Space debris removal demo. | ||||
2026[110] | Vega-C | ELV | CSG-4 | SSO |
Fourth COSMO-SkyMed 2nd Generation satellite. |
Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Q2 2027[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #17 | LEO |
SSMS #17 rideshare mission. | ||||
2027[111][112] | Vega-C [113] | ELV | FORUM | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. Part of the Living Planet Programme. | ||||
2027[114] | Vega-E | ELV | LEO | |
Maiden flight of Vega-E. |
Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Q2 2028[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #18 | LEO |
SSMS #18 rideshare mission. | ||||
Q4 2028[87] | Vega-C[115] | ELV | CRISTAL (Sentinel-9) | Polar |
Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
Q4 2028[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #19 | LEO |
SSMS #19 rideshare mission. | ||||
2028[87] | Vega-C[116] | ELV | Sentinel-3D | SSO |
Fourth Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite.[89] |
Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Q2 2029[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #20 | LEO |
SSMS #20 rideshare mission. | ||||
Q3 2029[87] | Vega-C[117] | ELV | CIMR-A (Sentinel-11A) | SSO |
Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
Q4 2029[90] | Vega-C | ELV | SSMS #21 | LEO |
SSMS #21 rideshare mission. | ||||
2029[117] | Vega-C | ELV | CHIME (Sentinel-10) | SSO |
Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
2029[117] | Vega-C | ELV | LSTM (Sentinel-8) | SSO |
Copernicus Land Surface Temperature Monitoring. Part of the Copernicus Programme. |
Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
2030[118] | Vega-C | ELV | TRUTHS | LEO |
Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio-Studies. |
The Italian-built Vega rocket is named after the second-brightest star in the northern hemisphere