The European Space Agency (ESA) launch vehicle “Vega-C” took off for its maiden flight on Wednesday. The rocket took off from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana at 15:13 CEST, ESA reported in a live broadcast. The aim is to put several satellites into orbit at an altitude of 5800 kilometers.
The missile was launched two hours late because the countdown was interrupted twice for technical checks, less than two minutes before launch after irregularities were reported.
In addition to four “Cubesats” satellites weighing several kilograms, the passive “LARES-2” would also be launched into orbit. With the help of the 300 kilogram heavy metal ball, the effects of gravity in orbit around the Earth must be investigated.
The “C” in the rocket’s name stands for “Consolidation,” according to Italian developer Avio. The “Vega-C” is therefore an improved version of the light “Vega” launcher, which has been launched 20 times since 2012 – including two failures. With a height of 35 meters, the “Vega-C” is slightly taller than the “Vega” and can carry up to 2.2 tons of satellites in a polar reference orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers – the “Vega” has only 1.5 tons .
Technology from Upper Austria on board
The Upper Austrian company Peak Technology in Holzhausen (Wels-Land district) is supplying the ignition housings for the second and third stages of the new ESA rocket. This is a cylinder about half a meter long with a diameter of 150 millimeters and a wall thickness of ten millimeters, which is made of carbon fiber.
“During ignition, the housing must withstand a pressure of about 150 bar and be exposed to about 3000 degrees Celsius as long as the stage is lit, which is about two minutes,” company founder and boss Dieter Grebner told APA.
Five to six launches planned per year
Peak Technology supplies two ignition housings per rocket, with an order volume of around 90,000 euros. The “Vega-C” is planned to launch about five to six times a year, Grebner said. Peak Technology has already supplied heat shields for the fourth stage for the previous version of the Vega rocket and will continue to do so for the C version.
The company, which currently has 135 employees from 25 countries and a turnover of approximately 17 million euros, is developing the helium tanks for the planned successor model “Vega-E”. “We are currently trying to secure the engine mount order as well,” said Grebner.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
