First flight successful
New European launch vehicle Vega C launched into space
The new European launch vehicle Vega C at the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Photo: M. Pedoussaut/ESA/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
More powerful, more versatile and more competitive: The new European launch vehicle Vega C is intended to advance Europe’s space travel. Now she was launched into space for the first time. Something unforeseen happened just before the flight.
The new European launch vehicle Vega C has successfully completed its maiden flight. The European space agency Esa reported on Wednesday the successful launch from the European spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana.
Esa boss Josef Aschbacher told the German Press Agency that it was a huge relief that everything went well. The Vega C is a further development of the Vega rocket, which has been launching light satellites into space since 2012. According to Esa, the new rocket is a lot better: it can carry around 800 kilograms more load, is more flexible and cheaper to produce. For example, the rocket features two new solid-state propulsion stages, a new fairing and an improved upper stage that can be re-ignited and launches satellites precisely into their intended orbit.
The rocket is 34.8 meters high and weighs 210 tons. According to Aschbacher, it is extremely important for satellites weighing up to around 2.4 tons, i.e. typically earth observation satellites, which are central to our understanding of the climate, for example. “It really heralds a new era in this missile category.” Together with the larger Ariane 6 launch vehicle, which could be launched into space for the first time next year, the Vega C is intended to make European space travel more competitive. In 2026, the Vega E, which has been further developed, should also take its maiden flight.
Maiden flight actually already planned for 2019
On board the Vega C, which was mainly developed in Italy, had the “Lares-2” research satellite for the Italian space agency Asi on its maiden flight. Its predecessor was already the main load on the first flight of the Vega in 2012. The Vega C also transported several small satellites for France, Italy and Slovenia during its flight. The special thing about it: The rocket brought the loads to orbits at different heights.
“This is a very important innovation,” said Aschbacher. So-called New Space companies that want to set up satellite constellations would have to shoot these objects into differently configured orbits. You need flexibility for that.
According to Esa, Vega-C rockets should be launched a good dozen times by 2025. Towards the beginning of 2025, they should also bring the reusable Space Rider into space. The unmanned laboratory is to return to earth after two months, be cleaned up and then be sent into space again.
The maiden flight of the Vega C was originally planned for 2019. According to Esa, there were no major problems during development, but the launch was delayed. Shortly before the rocket was supposed to take off on Wednesday, the date wobbled again. The launch had to be postponed twice because of a problem with the external power supply to one of the rocket’s batteries. The tension was too high, said Aschbacher. At the third take-off time in the afternoon, German time, the first flight went well.