List of Vega launches explained

Vega
Function:	Small-lift launch vehicle.
Manufacturer:	Avio
Country-Origin:	Italy, European Space Agency
Cpl:	^[1]
Stages:	4
Capacities:	Location: polar orbit (700 km, i 90°) Location: elliptical orbit (1500 × 200 km, i 5.4°) Location: SSO (400 km) Location: Low Earth Orbit (200 km, i 90°)
Status:	Active
Sites:	Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELV
Success:	20
Fail:	3
First:	13 February 2012^[2]
Last:	9 October 2023
Stagedata:	Type: stage Stageno: First P80^[3] ^[4] Solid: yes Burntime: 107 seconds Fuel: HTPB / AP (solid) Type: stage Stageno: Second Solid: yes Burntime: 71,6 seconds Fuel: HTPB / AP (solid)^[5] Type: stage Stageno: Third Solid: yes Burntime: 117 seconds Fuel: HTPB / AP (solid)^[6] Type: stage Stageno: Upper AVUM Burntime: 317 seconds Fuel: UDMH /

Vega is an expendable launch system in use by Arianespace which was 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.^[7]

It is designed to launch small payloads — 300 to 2500 kg satellites for scientific and Earth observation missions to polar and low Earth orbits.^[8] The reference Vega mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 1500 kg to an altitude of 700 km.

The rocket, named after the star Vega,^[9] is a single-body launcher (no strap-on boosters) with three solid rocket stages: the P80 first stage, the Zefiro 23 second stage, and the Zefiro 9 third stage. The upper module is a liquid rocket called AVUM. The improved version of the P80 stage, the P120C, is also used as the side boosters of the Ariane 6. Italy is the leading contributor to the Vega program (65%), followed by France (13%).^[10] Other participants include Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.^[11]

Launch statistics

Orbits

Notes and References

1. Web site: Office . Surplus Missile Motors: Sale Price Drives Potential Effects on DOD and Commercial Launch Providers | U.S. GAO . 2024-07-07 . www.gao.gov.
2. Web site: VV01 – Vega's first liftoff. ESA. 6 March 2016. 11 March 2019.
3. Web site: Vega Satellite Launcher. Avio. 24 July 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923180829/http://www.avio.com/files/catalog/pdf/motore_p80_75.pdf. 23 September 2015.
4. Web site: Avio Space. Avio. 24 July 2014. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140726232946/http://www.avio.com/en/catalog/space/propulsione_spaziale/products. 26 July 2014.
5. Web site: Wade. Mark. Zefiro 23. https://web.archive.org/web/20161228055927/http://astronautix.com/z/zefiro23.html. dead. 28 December 2016. Encyclopedia Astronautica. 11 March 2019.
6. Web site: Wade. Mark. Zefiro 9. https://web.archive.org/web/20161228033425/http://astronautix.com/z/zefiro9.html. dead. 28 December 2016. Encyclopedia Astronautica. 11 March 2019.
7. Web site: Vega. ESA. 3 February 2012. 14 February 2012.
8. News: Vega launcher makes first flight. Jonathan. Amos. 13 February 2012. 13 February 2012. BBC News.
9. Web site: Europe Launches New Vega Rocket on Maiden Voyage. Tariq Malik. Space.com. The Italian-built Vega rocket is named after the second-brightest star in the northern hemisphere. 13 February 2012. 29 May 2014.
10. News: Svitak. Amy . European Vega Small-Class Launcher Targets Government Market. Aviation Week. 6 February 2012 . 11 March 2010. subscription.
11. Web site: Vega launcher program courts German participation. Spaceflight Now. 14 February 2012. 14 February 2012. Clark, Steven.