Vega was 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 Guiana Space Centre on 13 February 2012. [1]
It is designed to launch small payloads — 300 to 2,500 kilograms (660 to 5,510 lb) satellites for scientific and Earth observation missions to polar and low Earth orbits. [2] The reference Vega mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) to an altitude of 700 kilometres (430 mi).
The rocket, named after the star Vega, [3] 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, is also used as the side boosters of the Ariane 6. Italy is the leading contributor to the Vega program (65%), followed by France (13%). [4] Other participants include Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden. [5]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(September 2024) |
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) [6] | Rocket | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV01 | 13 February 2012 10:00:00 | Vega | ELV | LEO | University of Bologna [7] | Success[ citation needed ] | ||
First Vega launch; Geodetic and Nanosatellite; | ||||||||
VV02 | 7 May 2013 02:06:31 | Vega | ELV | 254.83 kg (561.8 lb) [8] | SSO | Success | ||
First commercial launch; Earth observation satellite; [9] [10] | ||||||||
VV03 | 30 April 2014 01:35:15 | Vega | ELV | KazEOSat 1 | 830 kg (1,830 lb) [11] | SSO | KGS | Success[ citation needed ] |
Earth observation satellite [12] | ||||||||
VV04 | 11 February 2015 13:40:00 | Vega | ELV | IXV | 1,845 kg (4,068 lb) [13] | TAO | ESA | Success[ citation needed ] |
Reentry technology demonstration; IXV deployed into a transatmospheric orbit, AVUM briefly entered a low Earth orbit before performing targeted de-orbit. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] | ||||||||
VV05 | 23 June 2015 01:51:58 | Vega | ELV | Sentinel-2A | 1,130 kg (2,490 lb) [19] | SSO | ESA | Success |
Earth observation satellite [20] [21] [22] [23] | ||||||||
VV06 | 3 December 2015 04:04:00 | Vega | ELV | LISA Pathfinder | 1,906 kg (4,202 lb) [24] | Halo orbit Earth–Sun L1 | ESA / NASA | Success |
Technology demonstrator [25] [26] | ||||||||
VV07 | 16 September 2016 01:43:35 | Vega | ELV |
| 870 kg (1,920 lb) [27] | SSO | Success | |
Reconnaissance satellite / Earth observation satellite [28] [29] | ||||||||
VV08 | 5 December 2016 13:51:44 | Vega | ELV | Göktürk-1A | 1,060 kg (2,340 lb) [30] | SSO | Turkish Armed Forces | Success |
Earth observation satellite [31] (IMINT, Reconnaissance) | ||||||||
VV09 | 7 March 2017 01:49:24 | Vega | ELV | Sentinel-2B | 1,130 kg (2,490 lb) [32] | SSO | ESA | Success |
Earth observation satellite [33] [34] | ||||||||
VV10 | 2 August 2017 01:58:33 | Vega | ELV | 632 kg (1,393 lb) [35] | SSO | Success | ||
IMINT Earth observation satellite [36] | ||||||||
VV11 | 8 November 2017 01:42:31 | Vega | ELV | Mohammed VI-A (MN35-13A) | 1,110 kg (2,450 lb) [37] | SSO | Morocco | Success |
Earth observation satellite [38] | ||||||||
VV12 | 22 August 2018 21:20:09 [39] | Vega | ELV | ADM-Aeolus [40] [41] [42] | 1,357 kg (2,992 lb) [43] | SSO | ESA | Success |
Weather satellite | ||||||||
VV13 | 21 November 2018 01:42:31 [44] | Vega | ELV | Mohammed VI-B (MN35-13B) [44] | 1,108 kg (2,443 lb) [45] | SSO | Morocco | Success |
Earth observation satellite | ||||||||
VV14 | 22 March 2019 01:50:35 [46] | Vega | ELV | PRISMA [47] | 879 kg (1,938 lb) [48] | 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 [49] | Failure [50] |
IMINT (Reconnaissance) – The VV15 launch failure was possibly caused by a thermal protection design flaw on the second stage's forward dome area, [51] and led to reassignment of the FalconEye 2 launch. [52] [53] This also led to the highest recorded amount (US$411.21 million) for an insurance claim for a satellite launch failure. [54] |
Flight | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VV16 | 3 September 2020 01:51:10 [55] | Vega | ELV | SSMS PoC Flight (53 satellites) | SSO | Various | Success | |
Technology demonstration: launch of the Small Satellites Mission Service Dispenser (SSMS Dispenser) proof of concept flight carrying 53 microsatellites and CubeSats. [56] | ||||||||
VV17 | 17 November 2020 01:52:20 [57] | Vega | ELV | SEOSat-Ingenio and TARANIS | 925 kg (2,039 lb) | SSO | CDTI and CNES | Failure |
Earth observation satellite [58] and Study of the atmosphere of the Earth. [59] After ignition of the AVUM upper stage, a trajectory deviation caused failure. Satellites were valued at nearly US$400 million. [60] An assembly error (inverted control cable) was the suspected cause. [60] | ||||||||
VV18 | 29 April 2021 01:50 [61] | Vega | ELV |
| 1,278 kg (2,818 lb) | SSO |
| Success |
Small Satellites Mission Service (SSMS) piggyback mission. | ||||||||
VV19 | 17 August 2021 01:47 [62] | Vega | ELV |
| 1,029 kg (2,269 lb) | SSO |
| Success |
Small Satellites Mission Service (SSMS) piggyback mission. | ||||||||
VV20 | 16 November 2021 09:27:55 [63] | Vega | ELV | CERES 1/2/3 | 1,548 kg (3,413 lb) | Semi-synchronous | CNES/DGA | Success |
SIGINT satellites. [64] | ||||||||
VV21 | 13 July 2022 13:13:17 [65] | Vega C | ELV |
| 350 kg (770 lb) | MEO | Success | |
First flight of Vega C | ||||||||
VV22 | 21 December 2022 01:47:31 [66] | Vega C | ELV | Pléiades Neo 5 & 6 | 1,977 kg (4,359 lb) | SSO | Airbus Defence and Space | Failure |
Earth observation satellites. [67] Failure due to loss of pressure of the Zefiro 40 second stage. [68] | ||||||||
VV23 | 9 October 2023 01:36 [69] | 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. [70] | ||||||||
VV24 | 5 September 2024 01:50 | Vega | ELV | Sentinel-2C | 1,143 kg (2,520 lb) | SSO | Airbus Defence and Space | Success |
Final flight of the base Vega configuration. Third Sentinel-2 Earth observation satellite. [71] The AVUM upper stage utilizes two propellant tanks from the larger AVUM+ upper stage of the Vega C rocket. These tanks underwent modifications after two of the original four tanks were discovered missing in 2023 and subsequently found crushed in a nearby landfill, rendering them unusable. [72] [73] | ||||||||
VV25 | 5 December 2024 21:20 | Vega C | ELV | Sentinel-1C | 2,300 kg (5,100 lb) | SSO | ESA | Success |
Third Sentinel-1 satellite. Return to flight for Vega C following the VV22 launch failure. [74] |
Date / time (UTC) [6] | Rocket | Launch site | Payload | Orbit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Q1 2025 [75] | Vega C VV26 | ELV | BIOMASS | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. Part of the Living Planet Programme. | ||||
Q2 2025 [76] | Vega C VV27 | ELV | CO3D × 4 | SSO |
Earth observation satellites | ||||
Q3 2025 [77] | Vega C VV28 | ELV | SMILE | HEO |
Joint Chinese-European Earth observation satellite. | ||||
October 2025 [78] | Vega C VV29 | ELV | Sentinel-1D | SSO |
Fourth Sentinel-1 satellite. | ||||
Q3 2025 [79] | Vega C | ELV | KOMPSAT-6 (Arirang-6) | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. | ||||
Q3 2025 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #9 | LEO |
SSMS #9 rideshare mission. Delayed due to the VV22 Vega-C launch failure. [74] | ||||
Q3 2025 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #7 | SSO |
SSMS #7 rideshare mission. | ||||
Q3 2025 [81] | Vega C [78] | ELV | Sentinel-3C | SSO |
Third Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite. [82] | ||||
Q3 2025 [83] | Vega C | ELV | Space Rider | LEO |
Technology demonstration [84] | ||||
Q3 2025 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #13 | SSO |
SSMS #13 rideshare mission. | ||||
November 2025 [85] | Vega C | ELV | PLATiNO-2 / MAIA | SSO |
PLATiNO-2 will host the MAIA instrument payload. | ||||
Q4 2025 [86] | Vega C | ELV | IRIDE × ? | LEO |
First launch for the Italian IRIDE Earth observation satellite constellation. | ||||
Q4 2025 [86] | Vega C | ELV | IRIDE × ? | LEO |
Second launch for the Italian IRIDE Earth observation satellite constellation. | ||||
2025 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #8 | SSO |
SSMS #8 rideshare mission. | ||||
TBD [87] | Vega C | ELV | PLATiNO-1 | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. | ||||
2025 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #6 | SSO |
SSMS #6 rideshare mission. | ||||
2025 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #10 | SSO |
SSMS #10 rideshare mission. | ||||
2025 [88] | Vega C | ELV | CSG-3 | SSO |
Third COSMO-SkyMed 2nd Generation satellite. | ||||
2025 [89] | Vega C | ELV | MicroCarb | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. | ||||
2025 [90] [91] | Vega C [92] | ELV | SHALOM | SSO |
Joint Italian-Israeli hyperspectral imaging satellite. | ||||
January 2026 [93] | Vega C | ELV | KOMPSAT-7 (Arirang-7) | SSO |
Earth observation satellite [94] [95] | ||||
Q2 2026 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #14 | SSO |
SSMS #14 rideshare mission. | ||||
Q3 2026 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #15 | LEO |
SSMS #15 rideshare mission to an equatorial orbit. | ||||
Q3 2026 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #16 | LEO |
SSMS #16 rideshare mission to an equatorial orbit. | ||||
Q4 2026 [81] | Vega C [78] | ELV | CO2M-A (Sentinel-7A) | SSO |
Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
2026 [96] | Vega C | ELV | ALTIUS, FLEX | SSO |
ALTIUS is an ozone observation satellite. FLEX is an Earth observation satellite of the Living Planet Programme. | ||||
2026 [97] | Vega C | ELV | ClearSpace-1 | LEO |
Space debris removal demo. | ||||
2026 [98] | Vega C | ELV | CSG-4 | SSO |
Fourth COSMO-SkyMed 2nd Generation satellite. | ||||
2026 [99] | Vega C | ELV | EAGLE-1 | LEO |
Demonstrator satellite for the first European sovereign space-based quantum key distribution system. [100] | ||||
Q1 2027 [81] | Vega C [78] | ELV | CO2M-B (Sentinel-7B) | SSO |
Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
Q2 2027 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #17 | LEO |
SSMS #17 rideshare mission. | ||||
2027 [101] [102] | Vega C [103] | ELV | FORUM | SSO |
Earth observation satellite. Part of the Living Planet Programme. | ||||
Q2 2028 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #18 | LEO |
SSMS #18 rideshare mission. | ||||
Q4 2028 [81] | Vega C [104] | ELV | CRISTAL (Sentinel-9) | Polar |
Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
Q4 2028 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #19 | LEO |
SSMS #19 rideshare mission. | ||||
2028 [81] | Vega C [105] | ELV | Sentinel-3D | SSO |
Fourth Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite. [82] | ||||
Q2 2029 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #20 | LEO |
SSMS #20 rideshare mission. | ||||
Q3 2029 [81] | Vega C [106] | ELV | CIMR-A (Sentinel-11A) | SSO |
Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
Q4 2029 [80] | Vega C | ELV | SSMS #21 | LEO |
SSMS #21 rideshare mission. | ||||
2029 [106] | Vega C | ELV | CHIME (Sentinel-10) | SSO |
Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
2029 [106] | Vega C | ELV | LSTM (Sentinel-8) | SSO |
Copernicus Land Surface Temperature Monitoring. Part of the Copernicus Programme. | ||||
2030 [107] | Vega C | ELV | TRUTHS | LEO |
Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio-Studies. |
Ariane 5 is a retired European heavy-lift space launch vehicle operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), low Earth orbit (LEO) or further into space. The launch vehicle had a streak of 82 consecutive successful launches between 9 April 2003 and 12 December 2017. Since 2014, Ariane 6, a direct successor system, first launched in 2024.
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in March 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It operates two launch vehicles: Vega C, a small-lift rocket, and Ariane 6, a medium-to-heavy-lift rocket. Arianespace is a subsidiary of ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran.
The Guiana Space Centre, also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, an overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximately 500 kilometres north of the equator at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its near equatorial location and open sea to the east and north.
Vega was an expendable small-lift launch vehicle operated by Arianespace, produced by Avio, and 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 Guiana Space Centre on 13 February 2012. It was the 8th most launched small lift launch vehicle in history. The final flight of the rocket took place on 5 September 2024, after being replaced by the improved Vega C, already in use since 2022.
ELA-3 is a launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Currently inactive, the complex was first used in June 1996 in support of the now retired Ariane 5 rocket. ELA-3 is 21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi) in size.
Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz is a launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Currently inactive, the complex was first used in October 2011 in support of the Soyuz-ST rocket and the Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre programme.
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SEOSat-Ingenio, was a Spanish project to produce a satellite capable of providing wide-field imagery ensuring a repeat cycle of 38 days at 2.5 metre panchromatic resolution and 10 metre colour resolution, from a Sun-synchronous polar orbit; it was Spain's first optical imaging satellite. The satellite was part of the Spanish Earth Observation Satellite program. The mission was funded by Spain's Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI). SEOSat-Ingenio information was to be used by various Spanish civil, institutional or government users. However, under the Copernicus Programme of the European Union, it was also accessible to other European users, as well as to the Group on Earth observation of the Global Observing System of Earth.
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project’s primary contributors were France (55%), Germany (21%), and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
The Soyuz-ST-A and ST-B were modified versions of the Soyuz-2 rocket, designed to launch from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana. Developed as part of a European Space Agency (ESA) programme to add a medium-lift launch vehicle to complement the light-lift Vega and heavy-lift Ariane 5 rockets.
ArianeGroup is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. It consists of three core groups: aerospace, defence, and security. ArianeGroup has developed its next-generation two-stage Ariane 6 launch vehicle, which succeeded the Ariane 5 rocket, that had more than 110 launches. The new vehicle offers two variants that will be capable of carrying between 10,350 and 21,650 kilograms. The first launch of Ariane 6 occurred on July 9 2024.
Sentinel-2B is a European optical imaging satellite that was launched on 7 March 2017. It is the second Sentinel-2 satellite launched as part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme, and with its orbit phased 180° against its sister satellite, Sentinel-2A. The satellite carries a wide swath high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands. It provides information for agriculture and forestry, among other services, allowing for prediction of crop yields.
Vega C, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, small-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility.
TARANIS was an observation satellite of the French Space Agency (CNES) which would have studied the transient events produced in the Earth's atmospheric layer between 10 km (6.2 mi) and 100 km (62 mi) altitude. TARANIS was launched in November 2020 with SEOSat-Ingenio aboard Vega flight VV17 and would have been placed in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 676 km, for a mission duration of two to four years, but the rocket failed shortly after launch.
Miura 5 is a two-stage European orbital recoverable launch vehicle currently under development by the Spanish company PLD Space. In a standard two-stage configuration, it will have a length of 34 m, be capable of inserting 1000 kg of payload into a low Earth orbit (LEO), featuring an optional kick stage that can circularize the orbits of satellites.
Vega flight VV15 was the 15th flight of the Vega launcher, and its first failure.
This article documents expected notable spaceflight events during the year 2026.
Vega flight VV16, also called SSMS PoC Flight, was the 16th launch of the Vega rocket. The launch was also notable as it was the first Vega launch following the accident of the VV15 launch in July 2019 that caused the loss of FalconEye1 satellite.
Vega C flight VV22 was the second launch of a Vega C rocket and the 22nd launch overall of a Vega family rocket. The rocket failed after launch, and the mission was lost.
The Italian-built Vega rocket is named after the second-brightest star in the northern hemisphere