Contents

Vega C

European small-lift launch vehicle

Vega C

Model of Vega C at Paris Air Show 2015
Function	Small-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Avio
Country of origin	European multi-national[a]
Size
Height	34.8 m (114 ft)
Diameter	3.4 m (11 ft)
Mass	210,000 kg (460,000 lb)
Stages	4
Capacity
Payload to SSO
Altitude	400 km (250 mi)
Mass	2,450 kg (5,400 lb)
Payload to polar orbit
Altitude	500 km (310 mi)
Orbital inclination	88°
Mass	2,250 kg (4,960 lb)
Payload to equatorial elliptical orbit
Altitude	apogee: 5,700 km (3,500 mi) perigee: 250 km (160 mi)
Orbital inclination	6°
Mass	1,700 kg (3,700 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Vega
Comparable	Delta II Kinetica 1 Epsilon Minotaur PSLV Rokot Soyuz-2-1v Shavit 2
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Guiana Space Centre, ELV
Total launches	2
Success(es)	1
Failure(s)	1 (VV22)
First flight	13 July 2022
First stage – P120C
Height	13.38 m (43.9 ft)
Diameter	3.4 m (11 ft)
Gross mass	155,027 kg (341,776 lb)
Propellant mass	141,634 kg (312,250 lb)
Maximum thrust	4,323 kN (972,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	279 s (2.74 km/s)
Burn time	135.7 seconds
Propellant	HTPB / AP / Al
Second stage – Zefiro 40
Height	8.07 m (26.5 ft)
Diameter	2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
Gross mass	40,477 kg (89,237 lb)
Propellant mass	36,239 kg (79,893 lb)
Maximum thrust	1,304 kN (293,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	293.5 s (2.878 km/s)
Burn time	92.9 seconds
Propellant	HTPB / AP / Al
Third stage – Zefiro 9
Height	4.12 m (13.5 ft)
Diameter	1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Gross mass	12,000 kg (26,000 lb)
Propellant mass	10,567 kg (23,296 lb)
Maximum thrust	317 kN (71,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	295.9 s (2.902 km/s)
Burn time	119.6 seconds
Propellant	HTPB / AP / Al
Fourth stage – AVUM+
Height	2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)
Diameter	2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)
Empty mass	698 kg (1,539 lb)
Propellant mass	492 kg (1,085 lb) of N2O4, 248 kg (547 lb) of UDMH
Powered by	1 × MEA
Maximum thrust	2.42 kN (540 lbf)
Specific impulse	315.8 s (3.097 km/s)
Burn time	Up to 924.8 seconds (up to five burns)[b]
Propellant	UDMH / N2O4
[edit on Wikidata]

Vega C, or Vega Consolidation, is an expendable small-lift launch vehicle operated by Arianespace and developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility. Development began after the December 2014 ESA Ministerial Council to address the need to accommodate larger institutional payloads and compete with more affordable launch providers.^[1]

Like its predecessor, Vega C is designed to launch small satellites for scientific and Earth observation missions to polar and low Earth orbits.^[2] The reference Vega C mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 2,300 kilograms (5,100 lb) to an altitude of 700 kilometres (430 mi), an increase of 800 kg (1,800 lb) over the original. The rocket, named after Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra,^[3] is a single-body launcher (no strap-on boosters) with three solid and one liquid stage. The lead manufacturer to the Vega program is from Italy, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The Vega C incorporates several key improvements over the original Vega. The first-stage motor is replaced by the more potent P120C, a shared propulsion system with the Ariane 6 launcher. The second stage is the more powerful Zefiro 40, while the AVUM+ upper stage has more propellant than the original. The Zefiro 9 third stage remains unchanged.^[4]

Vega rockets are launched from the ELV launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre. Vega C's maiden flight on 13 July 2022 successfully delivered LARES 2 and six other satellites to orbit.^[5] However, the second launch on 21 December 2022 experienced a failure of the Zefiro 40 second stage, resulting in the loss of two Pléiades Neo Earth-imaging satellites.^[6] Consequently, the next launch was delayed until late 2024 to allow for the rocket motor nozzle to be redesigned.^[7]

Specifications[edit]

Stages[edit]

Main suppliers[edit]

Building the Vega is a European multi-national effort led by AvioofItaly, which manages Vega development and oversees production as the prime contractor, and also builds the Zefiro 40, Zefiro 9 and AVUM+ stages. Europropulsion, a 50-50 joint venture of Avio and ArianeGroup, builds the P120C first stage. Dutch Space of the Netherlands builds the interstage between the first and second stages. CIRA builds the interstage between the second and third stages. RUAGofSwitzerland builds the payload fairing. SABCAofBelgium builds the thrust vector control systems.^[8]

Payload[edit]

Arianespace had indicated that the Vega launcher is able to carry 2,300 kg (5,100 lb) to a circular polar orbit at an altitude of 700 km (430 mi).^[9]

Because of its ability to carry heavier payloads, RUAG Space of Switzerland had to redesign the fairing of the Vega C.

The fairing is 3.3 m (11 ft) in diameter and over 9 m (30 ft) tall, which offers nearly double the payload volume of the original Vega, which had a fairing of 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) in diameter and over 7.8 m (26 ft) tall.^[10]

Ascent timeline[edit]

This is a timeline of a typical Vega C ascent profile and associated sequence of events that includes two AVUM+ boosts. However, the flight profile is optimized for each mission.

Future[edit]

Building on Vega C, Vega E (or Vega Evolution) is a further evolution of the Vega C with the Zefiro 9 and AVUM+ third and fourth stage replaced with a cryogenic upper stage powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane. This variant offers even more flexibility than Vega C, with the ability to deliver multiple satellites into different orbits on a single launch.

As of March 2021^[update] Avio is finalizing the development of the new M10 methane engine used in the new upper stage. The engine design is the result of a collaboration between Avio and Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA) ended in 2014.^[11][4]

Avio successfully conducted the first series of testing of the M10 engine between May and July 2022^[12] with the maiden flight of the Vega-E planned for 2027.^[13]

See also[edit]

• List of Vega launches
• Solid rocket
• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Vega C – Arianespace
• Vega C – Avio
• Vega C – European Space Agency