About 16 seconds later, the Zefiro-9 third stage will ignite. The fairing protecting the payload during the climb through Earth's atmosphere will be discarded at 3 min 43 sec, followed by Zefiro-9 separation at 5 min 47 sec.

The first firing of the AVUM liquid-propellant fourth stage will begin at 5 min 54 sec; the second will begin at 48 min 7 sec.

At 55 min 5 sec into the flight, Italy's LARES laser-ranging satellite will separate from the upper stage.

AVUM's third burn starting at 66 min 10 sec will be followed by the separation of ALMaSat-1 and the seven CubeSats at 70 min 35 sec.

Vega's flight will be completed 81 min after first-stage ignition.

Vega qualification flight

Flight VV01 will depart from the new Vega launch site at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying nine satellites into orbit.

The payload consists of two Italian satellites - ASI's LARES laser relativity satellite and the University of Bologna's ALMASat-1 - as well as seven picosatellites provided by European universities: e-St@r (Italy), Goliat (Romania), MaSat-1 (Hungary), PW-Sat (Poland), Robusta (France), UniCubeSat GG (Italy) and Xatcobeo (Spain).

The flight will qualify the overall Vega system, including the vehicle, the ground infrastructure and operations, from the launch campaign to the payload separation and disposal of the upper module.

In particular, it will demonstrate the vehicle's performance and payload services.

A flexible mission

Vega will provide Europe with a safe, reliable and competitive capacity to carry science and Earth observation satellites into orbit, perfectly complementing the heavy Ariane 5 and medium Soyuz rockets already launched from the spaceport.

The rocket is designed for a wide range of missions and payload configurations in order to respond to different market opportunities and provide great flexibility.

ESA's new Vega launcher scores success on maiden flight

Vega, ESA's new launch vehicle, is ready to operate alongside the Ariane 5 and Soyuz launchers after a successful qualification flight this morning from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

With Vega extending the family of launchers available at the spaceport, Europe now covers the full range of launch needs, from small science and Earth observation satellites to the largest missions like ESA's supply freighters to the International Space Station.

The first Vega lifted off at 10:00 GMT (11:00 CET, 07:00 local time) from the new launch pad, and conducted a flawless qualification flight.

Vega's light launch capacity accommodates a wide range of satellites — from 300 kg to 2500 kg — into a wide variety of orbits, from equatorial to Sun-synchronous. Its reference mission is 1500 kg into a 700 km-high circular Sun-synchronous orbit.

Vega will thus add to Europe's set of launch services next to the Ariane 5 heavy-lifter and the Soyuz medium-class launcher already in service.

The combination of these three systems operating from French Guiana will also improve the efficiency of Europe's launch infrastructure by sharing its operating costs over a larger number of launches.

"In a little more than three months, Europe has increased the number of launchers it operates from one to three, widening significantly the range of launch services offered by the European operator Arianespace. There is not anymore one single European satellite which cannot be launched by a European launcher service," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA.

"It is a great day for ESA, its Member States, in particularly Italy where Vega was born, for European industry and for Arianespace."

Vega launcher development started in 2003. Seven Member States contributed to the programme: Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

"Today is a moment of pride for Europe as well as those around 1000 individuals who have been involved in developing the world's most modern and competitive launcher system for small satellites," said Antonio Fabrizi, ESA's Director of Launchers.

"ESA, with the technical support of the Italian and French space agencies, and about 40 industrial companies coordinated by the prime contractor ELV SpA, have made this enormous challenge a reality in under a decade of development."

Vega Flight VV15

Findings of the Independent Inquiry Commission's investigations

The Independent Inquiry Commission, tasked with analyzing the failure of Vega Flight VV15, submitted its findings on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

Co-chaired by the Inspector General of the European Space Agency (ESA); and the Senior Vice President, Technical and Quality of Arianespace; the Commission was appointed on Thursday, July 11, 2019. According to its assigned task, after having analyzed the flight data, the Commission identified possible causes for the anomaly and drew up recommendations for Vega to resume launches under the requisite conditions of safety, security and reliability.

The Commission identified the anomaly's most likely cause as a thermo-structural failure in the forward dome area of the Z23 motor. Based on this, the Commission has proposed:

• An exhaustive verification plan of its findings,

• A set of corrective actions on all subsystems, processes and equipment concerned.

After these actions are completed, the resumption of Vega launches is planned by the first quarter of 2020, enabling a return to the string of 14 successful launches already recorded by Vega.

Flight data analysis

The Vega launcher lifted off as scheduled on July 10, 2019 at 10:53 p.m. (local time in French Guiana). At precisely 130s 850ms after liftoff – and shortly after ignition of the second stage (Zefiro 23) –an anomaly occurred on the launcher, leading to the premature end of the mission.

The work of the Independent Inquiry Commission is based on the following:

• A complete analysis of measurements recorded during Flight VV15.

• The study of documents concerning Vega's production, quality and technical history, including the 14 successful Vega launches to date.

• Investigations at different production and operational sites involving the staff from the prime contractor, Avio.

These investigations confirm that all preparation and countdown operations for the VV15 launch, as well as the flight conditions until after the ignition of the Zefiro 23 second stage (Z23) proceeded normally. In particular:

• The operation of the P80 first stage (engine ignition, atmospheric phase, P80 propulsion and separation) was nominal; all parameters were as expected and in line with those from preceding flights.

• The ignition and powered phase of the Z23 stage was nominal during the first 14s 25ms and all parameters were as expected and in line with those for preceding flights.

The anomaly occurred at 130s 850ms, based on the following observations:

• At 130s 850ms, a sudden and violent event occurred on the Z23 motor.

This event led to a breakup of the launcher in two main parts: the Z23; and the assembly composed of the fairing, satellite, flight adapter, AVUM and the Zefiro 9 stage (Z9).

After this event, the key telemetry measurements and observations were as follows:

• At 135s: the upper assembly trajectory started to deviate from the nominal one.

• At 213s 660ms: in accordance with the safety procedures in force at the Guiana Space Center, a neutralization command was sent by range safety authorities, and was confirmed as executed by analysis of telemetry data.

• At 314s 25ms: telemetry data and signals from the launcher were no longer received by ground radar and telemetry stations.

The mission came to a premature end, without causing any damage to people or property.

Causes of the anomaly and work plan

Based on these observations, and additional analyses concerning the few milliseconds around the anomaly, the Commission has performed a systematic and exhaustive analysis of the possible causes. The Commission identified as the most likely cause of the anomaly a thermo-structural failure in the forward dome area of the Z23 motor. Other possible causes such as inadvertent activation of the Z23 neutralization system have been found unlikely.

Furthermore, after specific investigations, the Independent Inquiry Commission did not find any evidence of a malicious act.

The Commission has proposed:

• An exhaustive verification plan of its findings based on analyses and tests,

• A set of corrective actions on all subsystems, processes and equipment concerned.

This action plan shall enable a resumption of Vega launches under all requisite conditions of reliability by the first quarter of 2020. A key point will validate the effective implementation of Independent Inquiry Commission recommendations prior to flight resumption and submit its final conclusions to ESA and Arianespace.

Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Space Transportation, said: "In the past weeks, members of the inquiry commission have done a remarkable job, with the support of the prime contractor Avio. I want to encourage all the teams to implement corrective measures for the reliable return to flight of Vega, securing Europe's full autonomy of access to space."

Stéphane Israël, Arianespace CEO added: "I would like to thank the co-chairs of the Independent Inquiry Commission, as well as all members. Their work on identifying the causes of the Flight VV15 anomaly, and the well-defined actions to be carried out from now until the end of the year, will pave the way for a resumption of Vega launches as from the first quarter of 2020, under the requisite conditions of reliability. Along with our industrial partner Avio, we will be doing everything in our power to reconnect with the 14 successful launches already recorded by our light launch vehicle."

With Vega, Arianespace successfully performs the first European mission to launch multiple small satellites

Arianespace has realised the first European "rideshare" mission for small satellites, with 53 satellites onboard the Vega launcher for 21 customers.

With this new SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service) shared launch concept, Arianespace demonstrates its ability to respond – in an innovative and competitive manner – to institutional and commercial requirements of the growing market for small satellites.

This 16th Vega mission (Flight VV16) also was the return-to-flight for the light-lift launcher, which logged its 15th success.

On Tuesday, September 2 at 10:51 p.m. local time in Kourou, French Guiana (UTC-3), Arianespace's light-lift Vega launcher performed its 15th successful mission, marking its return to flight.

"With Vega's successful return to flight, we are delighted to have served 21 customers from 13 different countries," said Stéphane Israël, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace. "These satellites will serve a variety of different applications, including Earth observation, the battle against climate change, telecommunications, the Internet of Things, science, as well as education. With this shared launch, space becomes accessible to everyone, including research labs, universities and startups. 'Bravo' to the European space team, which has worked from start to finish in adding this new service to Arianespace's offering, enabling this magnificent success."

The satellites onboard VV16 are in two categories: seven primary micro-satellites with a mass of 25 to 145 kg.; and 46 nano-satellites with a mass of 250 g. to 7 kg. The first seven satellites were released between the mission's 40th and 52nd minute, while the remaining 46 were deployed during a sequence of less than three minutes, occurring 1 hour, 42 minutes after liftoff.

Among these 53 satellites, certain spacecraft will be dedicated to Earth observation, with innovative projects such as GHGSAT-C1, a Canadian satellite at the service of air quality; or ION Satellite Carrier Lucas for the Planet company. OSM-1 CICERO is the first satellite from Orbital Solutions Monaco, a Monegasque start-up; while ESAIL is the first commercial microsatellite developed under the European Space Agency's SAT-AIS program for tracking ships. Several experimental satellites also were on board Vega, such as TARS from the Kepler company, which is dedicated to the Internet of Things; as well as the 14 satellites from Swarm Technology, an American start-up whose mission is the use of artificial intelligence in robots and computers.

With the demonstration of its new SSMS service, Arianespace is strengthening its position in the growing market for small satellites. This service will soon be supplemented by the MLS (Multi Launch Service) – a similar offer available on Ariane 6, allowing Arianespace to increase the number of affordable launch opportunities for small satellites and constellations.

Proposed for the first time by Arianespace, the SSMS is a European project supported by Europe's space team. Benefiting from European Space Agency (ESA) funding, the SSMS structure was developed by Avio, located in Colleferro, Italy – which is the Vega launcher's industrial prime contractor – and manufactured by the Czech company SAB Aerospace. The European Union also contributed to the funding of this demonstration flight in the Horizon 2020 program's framework.

As a new-generation light-lift launcher, Vega is perfectly suited to the requirements of the institutional and commercial market. Its performance and versatility enable Arianespace to offer the best possible solutions for putting small to medium-sized payloads into orbit for a wide range of missions: Sun-synchronous low orbit missions (such as Sentinel-2A), ballistic missions (the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle/IXV, as an example), missions in transfer orbit to the Lagrange Point L1 (LISA Pathfinder), and for numerous applications (Earth observation, science, education, defense). With Vega C, Arianespace will offer increased performance and volume under the payload fairing for its future passengers at the same cost.

Loss of Vega Flight VV17

Identification of source of anomaly and establishment of Inquiry Commission

On Tuesday, November 17, Arianespace announced the loss of the Vega VV17 mission, which was carrying two payloads, SEOSAT-Ingenio, an earth-science observation satellite for the European Spatial Agency (ESA) and TARANIS for France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).

Two and a half months after Vega's successful return to flight, the Vega launch vehicle lifted off as scheduled on November 16 at 22:52 (local time in Kourou, French Guyana) from the Guyana Space Center. The first three stages functioned nominally until the ignition of the AVUM upper stage, eight minutes after departure from the launch pad. At that time, a degraded trajectory was detected, followed by a loss of control of the vehicle and the subsequent loss of the mission.

The launcher fell in a completely uninhabited area close to the drop zone planned for the Zefiro 9 stage.

Initial investigations, conducted overnight with the available data, a problem related to the integration of the fourth-stage AVUM nozzle activation system is the most likely cause of the loss of control of the launcher.

In accordance with their standard protocols, Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) will set up an independent Inquiry Commission jointly chaired by Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Space Transport at ESA, and Stéphane Israël, Arianespace Chief Executive Officer, on November 18.

The Commission will provide detailed evidence to explain why steps were not taken to identify and correct the integration error. The Commission will formulate a road map for the Vega's return to flight under conditions of complete reliability. Arianespace and ESA will jointly present the findings of this commission.

Arianespace expresses its deepest apologies to the clients and the satellite manufacturers involved in this mission.

Sentinel-2C to launch on final Vega rocket

Owing to electrical issues, the VV24 Vega launch with Copernicus Sentinel-2C planned for 4 September was postponed. Arianespace has confirmed a new launch attempt for 5 September at 03:50 CEST (4 September 22:50 local time in French Guiana).

Vega was the very first rocket entirely managed by ESA, built to send small satellites into low Earth orbit. Designed by Avio, who is also the prime contractor, the rocket is operated by Arianespace. Vega consists of four stages, the first three propelled by solid propellant motors and the last stage uses liquid propulsion.

The Vega inaugural flight took place in February 2012. In all, including this final upcoming VV24 mission, Vega will have launched 22 times during its years in service, taking more than 100 missions to space from dozens of European institutions but also customers around the world.

Sentinel-2C will be the last liftoff for the Vega rocket which specialises in launching such small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft to sun-synchronous orbits, flying over the poles of Earth and following the Sun. Fittingly the Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B satellites were also launched on Vega marking a logical conclusion to Vega's stellar roster of satellites launched.

This final launch marks the handover of Vega to the upgraded Vega-C. Vega has for years ensured that Europe has a versatile, independent access to space, complementing the Ariane family of rockets to launch any satellite to any orbit – continuing with Vega-C and Ariane 6.

About Copernicus Sentinel-2

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission provides high-resolution optical imagery for a wide range of applications including land, water and atmospheric monitoring. The mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites flying in the same orbit but 180° apart: Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B. Together, they cover all of Earth's land and coastal waters every five days.

The satellites each carry a high-resolution multispectral imager that generates optical images in the visible, near-infrared and shortwave-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. From their altitude of 786 km, they provide continuous imagery in 13 spectral bands with resolutions of 10 m, 20 m and 60 m, with a large swath width of 290 km.

Sentinel-2C is the third in the Sentinel-2 series. Once commissioned in orbit, it will replace its predecessor, Sentinel-2A. Later, Sentinel-2D will replace Sentinel-2B. This all ensures the continuity of imagery for Copernicus Services and beyond.

Arianespace's next mission is scheduled for Wednesday September 4th, 2024 at 10.50 p.m. local time (September 5th, at 1.50 a.m. UTC, 3.50 a.m. CEST), from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, with a Vega launcher.