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Vega (P80 based)

Vega (LARES) [ESA]

Vega is an ESA project for a small, solid-fueled launcher for low earth orbit payloads. It is compatible with payload masses ranging from 300 kg to 2500 kg, depending on the type and altitude of the orbit required by the customers. The benchmark is for 1500 kg into a 700 km-altitude polar orbit.

The Vega launch vehicles is launched from the refurbished ELA-1 complex, now redesignated ELV, at Kourou.

For the basic Vega launch vehicle, the first stage was originally a two-segment version of the Ariane-5 booster, but later in the development process the complete new P80FW first stage was developed. The second and third stages will be versions of the italian Zefiro motor, namely the Z23 and Z9. A liquid fuel propulsion module called AVUM forms stage 4, which is powered by a Ukrainian RD-843 engine of R-36M2 heritage.

Due to the reignitable fourth stage, Vega is able to place multiple payloads into orbit. In particular, it offers configurations able to handle payloads ranging from a single satellite up to one main satellite plus six microsatellites.

The improved Vega-C introduces some new motors. The first stage will consist of the P120C motor, which will also be used for the Ariane-6 launcher. As second stage, the larger diameter Zefiro-Z40 will be introduced. The third stage will remain the same, while the AVUM will receive some updates and will be called AVUM+.

Vega-C is planned for a maiden flight in 2019.

Version Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Vega P80FW Zefiro-Z23 Zefiro-Z9 AVUM / RD-843
Performance (kg) LEO LPEO SSO GTO GEO MolO IP
Vega 2300 1740 - - - -
No:  TNr: Type:   Serial:   Date:        LS         Payload

 1    1   Vega       VV01   13.02.2012   Ko ELV     LARES / ALMASat 1 / e-st@r / Goliat / MaSat 1 / PW-Sat 1 / ROBUSTA / UniCubeSat-GG / XaTcobeo / LARES-A&H/SS
 2    2   Vega       VV02   07.05.2013   Ko ELV     Proba V / VNREDSat 1a / ESTCube 1
 3    3   Vega       VV03   30.04.2014   Ko ELV     KazEOSat 1
 4    4   Vega       VV04   11.02.2015   Ko ELV *   IXV / AVUM VV04
 5    5   Vega       VV05   23.06.2015   Ko ELV     Sentinel 2A
 6    6   Vega       VV06   03.12.2015   Ko ELV     LISA Pathfinder
 7    7   Vega       VV07   16.09.2016   Ko ELV     PerúSat 1 / SkySat 4 / SkySat 5 / SkySat 6 / SkySat 7
 8    8   Vega       VV08   05.12.2016   Ko ELV     Göktürk 1A
 9    9   Vega       VV09   07.03.2017   Ko ELV     Sentinel 2B
10   10   Vega       VV10   02.08.2017   Ko ELV     OPTSAT-3000 / VENµS     
11   11   Vega       VV11   08.11.2017   Ko ELV     Mohammed VI A (MN35-13A)
12   12   Vega       VV12   22.08.2018   Ko ELV     Aeolus 
13   13   Vega       VV13   21.11.2018   Ko ELV     Mohammed VI B (MN35-13B)
14   14   Vega       VV14   22.03.2019   Ko ELV     PRISMA
15   15   Vega       VV15   11.07.2019   Ko ELV  F  Falcon Eye 1
16   16   Vega       VV16   03.09.2020   Ko ELV  .  Athena / ION-SCV 1 / ESAIL / UPMSat 2 / NEMO-HD / ŃuSat 6 / GHGSat C1 / Flock-4v 1, ..., 26 / Lemur-2 112, ..., 119 /
                                                    SpaceBEE 10, ..., 21 / FSSCat A, B / NAPA 1 / TARS / EG 2 / OSM 1 CICERO / DIDO 3 / PICASSO / SIMBA / TRISAT / AMICal-Sat /
                                                    TTÜ100
17   17   Vega       VV17   17.11.2020   Ko ELV  F  SEOSAT-Ingenio / TARANIS
18   18   Vega       VV18   29.04.2021   Ko ELV     Pléiades-Neo 3 / NORSAT 3 / AII-Bravo / ELO Alpha / Lemur-2 138, 139
19   19   Vega       VV19   17.08.2021   Ko ELV     Pléiades-Neo 4 / BRO 4 / RADCUBE / Sunstorm / LEDSAT
20   20   Vega       VV20   16.11.2021   Ko ELV     CERES 1 / CERES 2 / CERES 3
23   21   Vega       VV23   09.10.2023   Ko ELV     THEOS 2 / TRITON / PROBA V-CC / CSC 1, 2 / MACSAT / ANSER L, F1, F2 / ESTCube 2 / N3SS / PRETTY

 
Planned:

24   22   Vega       VV24   xx.04.2024   Ko ELV     Sentinel 2C


Failures:

15: Structural failure in stage 2
16: 2 Lemur-2 satellites failed to deploy
17: AVUM stage TVC cabeling error


Launch sites:

Ko  = Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), Kourou, French Guiana, France France

* = Suborbital
Note: IXV payload suborbital, AVUM upper stage reached orbit

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