 Artwork featured on visitors' brochures | |
| Vega launch | |
|---|---|
| Launch | 11 February 2015, 13:40:00 UTC |
| Operator | Arianespace |
| Pad | Kourou ELV |
| Payload | Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle |
| Outcome | Success |
| Vega launches | |
Vega flight VV04 is the space launch of the IXV experimental re-entry vehicle by the 4th Vega rocket.
The flight was a single-payload mission that put the IXV prototype spaceplane into sub-orbital spaceflight. The total payload mass was approximately 1,932 kilograms (4,259 lb), including the spacecraft and its adapter.
The Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (abbreviated IXV) was 5.058 metres (16.59 ft) long, 1.540 metres (5 ft 0.6 in) high, and 2.2369 metres (7 ft 4.07 in) wide. [1] It had a lift-off mass of approximately 1,845 kilograms (4,068 lb), and was the only payload of the flight.
IXV was designed and manufactured by a consortium led by Thales Alenia Space.
The launch was initially foreseen for 1 November 2014 but was postponed to allow further analyses of the flight path. The 4th successful Vega flight finally took place on 11 February 2015 at 13:40:00 UTC (10:00:00 local time) from the ELV launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
The sub-orbital flight was planned to last about 100 minutes from lift-off until splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, near coordinate 3°18′N123°10′W / 3.3°N 123.16°W . [1]
The mission was the 4th launch of the Vega launcher (the 1st out of 3 in 2015), and the 261st Arianespace mission (the 1st in 2015).
Vega, is an expendable launch system in use by Arianespace 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.
The Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) is a European Space Agency (ESA) experimental suborbital re-entry vehicle. It was developed to serve as a prototype spaceplane to validate the ESA's work in the field of reusable launchers.
Secondary payload, also known as rideshare, is a smaller-sized payload transported to orbit on a launch vehicle that is mostly paid for—and with the date and time of launch and the orbital trajectory determined—by the entity that contracts and pays for the primary launch. As a result, the secondary payload typically obtains a substantially reduced price for transportation services to orbit, by accepting a trade off of the loss of control once the contract is signed and the payload is delivered to the launch vehicle supplier for integration to the launch vehicle. These tradeoffs typically include having little or no control over the launch date/time, the final orbital parameters, or the ability to halt the launch and remove the payload should a payload failure occur during ground processing prior to launch, as the primary payload typically purchases all of these launch property rights via contract with the launch services provider.
Liquid Fly-back Booster (LFBB) was a German Aerospace Center's (DLR's) project concept to develop a liquid rocket booster capable of reusing for Ariane 5 in order to significantly reduce the high cost of space transportation and increase environmental friendliness. LFBB would replace the existing solid rocket boosters, providing main thrust during the liftoff. Once separated, two winged boosters would perform an atmospheric entry, fly back autonomously to the French Guiana, and land horizontally on the airport like an aeroplane.
The Space RIDER is a planned uncrewed orbital spaceplane aiming to provide the European Space Agency (ESA) with affordable and routine access to space. Contracts for construction of the vehicle and ground infrastructure were signed in December 2020. Its expected maiden flight is in the third quarter of 2023.
Vega flight VV01 is the maiden flight of the Vega launcher. It occurred from the Guiana Space Centre on 13 February 2012 at 10:00:00 UTC.
Vega flight VV02 was the second flight of the Vega launcher. It occurred from the Guiana Space Centre on 7 May 2013 at 02:06:31 UTC.
Vega flight VV03 is the third flight of the Vega launcher. It occurred from the Guiana Space Centre on 30 April 2014 at 01:35:15 UTC.
Vega flight VV05 is the Vega space launch of the Sentinel-2A satellite.
Vega flight VV06 is the Vega space launch of the LISA Pathfinder satellite.
Vega flight VV07 is the 7th Vega space launch, of the PerúSAT-1 and 4 SkySat satellites.
Vega flight VV15 was the 15th flight of the Vega launcher, and its first failure.
Vega flight VV08 was the launch of Göktürk-1 on board the 8th flight of the Vega launcher.
Ariane flight VA253 was a successful rocket launch conducted by multinational launch service provider Arianespace on August 15th, 2020.
Vega flight VV09 was the launch of the Sentinel-2B satellite by the 9th Vega launcher.
Vega flight VV10 was the launch of the OPTSAT-3000 & Venµs satellites by the 10th Vega launcher.
Vega flight VV11 was the launch of the Mohammed VI-A satellite by the 11th Vega launcher.
Vega flight VV12 was the launch of the ADM-Aeolus satellite by the 12th Vega launcher.
Vega flight VV13 was the launch of the Mohammed VI-B satellite by the 13th Vega launcher.
Vega flight VV14 was the launch of the PRISMA satellite by the 14th Vega launcher.
Arianespace launches | ||
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| Ariane 5 |  | |
| Soyuz-ST | ||
| Vega |
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