Vega & Vega C

The Vega launcher, developed and manufactured by Avio in partnership with the French rocket organization ArianeGroup, has a great successful launches background, it has flown 16 times so far with only 1 mission failed. The addition of Vega at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana in 2012 as a launch vehicle, Vega has made arriving at space way less expensive, quicker, and simpler.

• Vega consists of four main stages, P80 Motor, Zefiro 23, Zefiro 9, and AVUM

Vega has the ability to lift different payloads going from a solitary satellite up to one primary satellite in addition to extra small satellites one after another even in two different orbits within a single mission. It is intended to convey around 1.500 Kg into a 700 km-elevation circular orbit at 90° tendency.

The VEGA C (Consolidation)

Powerful and cost-effective

The new design of the Vega rocket is known as the Vega C that promises to have improved performance. Although the latest Vega C will carry 800 kg additional payload into space at about the same cost as the original Vega launch. Therefore, Avio has initiated a modeling plan for the latest installment of Vega. The maiden flight of Vega C is scheduled for mid-2021.

To satisfy the demands of a highly diverse business sector for small satellite launch services, Vega C provides Avio clients with improved payload efficiency at a reasonable price.

• Vega C comprises four stages, New P120C, New Zefiro 40, Zefiro 9, Upgraded AVUM

The architecture of Vega C is based on the existing Vega launcher. Specifically, like its predecessor, Vega C will consist of three stages based on solid propulsion motors and one stage based on a liquid propulsion engine

The new launcher vehicle will be proficient to lift up to 2.300 Kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and SSO, an astonishing 60% or 800 Kg more payload than the previous Vega launcher for a similar launch price.

New P120C Motor:

The P120C is one of the biggest monolithic carbon-fiber solid-propellant rocket engines at any point worked in one piece. It is to be utilized during the initial stage of Vega-C's flight, giving the push required to send the launcher's payload to the fitting orbit. The engine has been designed as a trade for the P80 as Vega-C's first stage engine. It will be also used for Ariane 6 side boosters.

Fairing Payload Areas

The ogive-shaped fairing at the top of Vega C is 3.3m in diameter and 9.3m tall. 

Made of carbon fiber-polymer composite and ‘cured’ in an industrial oven, this structure protects the payload from the thermal, acoustic, and aerodynamic stresses at lift off and on the ascent to space.

?       Vega Secondary Payload Adapter (VESPA):

The all-encompassing capacities of Vega are made conceivable to some extent by the addition of Vespa, which is utilized in missions including different dispatches (two satellites) or to house CubeSats and Microsats in its inward stage. Vespa allows for multiple payloads and their deployment into different orbits.

?       VAMPIRE Payload Adapter:

The new adaptor VAMPIRE is being worked on and will empower Vega C to send in Low Earth Orbit a fundamental payload (a solitary satellite) in extension to small payloads or Cubesats.

?       Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS):

This adapter is as of now being worked on and will empower the Vega C to expand the number of miniaturized satellites carried on every single launch. Allowing more than 50 satellites at a time into space

• VENUS

VENUS payload adapter aims to provide orbit-to-orbit transfer to satellites of approximately 1 ton, up to:

• Medium Earth Orbits, e.g. for constellation replacement services;
• Highly Elliptic Earth Orbits, Escape Orbits, scientific/exploration applications;
• GEO, complementary to the GTO by orbit raising from LEO.

The first goal is to extend VEGA-C AVUM+ orbital life-time in LEO, as Space Rider Orbital Service Module, a later wish is to stretch the orbital capabilities up to orbit transfers.

•  Space Rider

The Space Rider space transportation system will be integrated with Vega-C, combining an Orbital Service Module derived from a Vega-C AVUM which can increase the time in orbit by at least two months before returns to earth with a reentry module derived from the Intermediate experimental Vehicle (IXV) demonstrator flown in 2015 on Vega.

The system will be launched on Vega-C and use the AVUM+ upper stage capabilities to provide in-orbit operations for payload return capability up to 800kg

Previous Mission VV16 (SSMS)

For the Vega VV16 mission, SSMS payload dispenser was used in the "Flexi-3" arrangement, where Seven microsatellites were shipped on its upper portion and 46 smaller CubeSats did hitch a ride on its lower hexagonal module. Every one of the 53 satellites was propelled to a 97-degree Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), which is a polar orbit over Earth that permits a rocket to pass over a given point on the planet's surface at a similar interim. Satellites at such an orbit can precisely screen and traverse changes on a superficial level of the Earth by being close to it, thus proving helpful for the Earth observation. 

Current Mission VV17 (Vespa)

Reassuring the main mission which is to ensure the European independent access to space, Vega flight #VV17 is going to lift off today (16/11/2020).

Vega launcher will be using a VESPA satellite dispenser, which will bring to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) a SEOSAT-Ingenio for the European Space Agency - ESA, on behalf of Spain’s Center for Development of Industrial Technology CDTII), and a TARANIS satellite for Centre National d'études Spatiales #CNES, the French space agency.