The first commercial launch of Europe’s new Vega C launch vehicle has gone wrong. According to Stéphane Israel, head of Arianespace, the rocket drifted off course from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, minutes after launch. The missile operator classified the mission as a failure. It’s not the first problem we’ve encountered with a European launcher.
About two and a half minutes after takeoff, there was a problem with the Zefiro 40 engine, Arianespace announced. Data analyzes should now yield conclusions about the exact reasons for this.
It wasn’t until July that the new Vega C made its maiden flight. It is a further development of the Vega rocket, which has been launching light satellites into space since 2012. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the new rocket is a lot better: it can carry about 800 kilos more payload, is more flexible and cheaper. Together with the larger Ariane 6 launcher, which will go into space for the first time next year after a delay of about three years, the Vega C should make European space travel more competitive. Ariane 6 was originally supposed to launch in 2020, but the launch was postponed several times, partly due to the corona pandemic.
Missile “extremely important”
If the launch failure is due to a fundamental problem with the new rocket, it would be a major setback for ESA. ESA boss Josef Aschbacher described the Vega C as “extremely important” for satellites up to about 2.4 tons during its maiden flight. The launch of the rocket, which can deliver payloads to orbits at different altitudes, heralded a new era in this rocket category. Esa initially did not respond to a request for the failed launch.
A dozen launches of Vega-C rockets are planned through 2025. The Vega-C rocket program is owned by ESA. The main contractor is the Italian company Avio. Arianespace takes care of the commercial side of the launches.
Two satellites on board
The off-course missile carried two Earth observation satellites. The Airbus Pléiades Neo 5 and 6 rockets were intended to complement a constellation of Earth observation satellites in space. Airbus Defense and Space did not initially comment on the missile launch failure.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
