Vega C
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Colleferro , Italy |
| Products | VegaC launch vehicle, Zefiro 40, Zefiro 9, AVUM+ stages |
| Website | www |
Vega C, also known as Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, medium-lift launch vehicle developed and manufactured by Avio. As an advancement of the original Vega launcher, it delivers improved payload capacity and operational versatility.
Endorsed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in December 2014, VegaC is designed to accommodate larger institutional payloads and to establish a presence in the commercial launch sector. Initially promoted by Arianespace, ESA announced in August 2024 that Avio would assume direct commercialization responsibilities for VegaC, targeting non-government customers, with this handover anticipated by late 2025.
Primarily intended for deploying small satellites dedicated to scientific research and Earth observation into polar and sun-synchronous low Earth orbits, VegaC can transport payloads up to to a polar orbit—representing roughly a 60% increase compared to its predecessor.
The rocket’s name is inspired by the star Vega. It features a single-body structure comprising three solid-fueled stages and one liquid-fueled stage. The program is led by Italy’s Avio, with production contributions from companies in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Significant enhancements include substituting the initial stage with the more robust P120C, which shares design components with boosters used on the Ariane 6 launcher to minimize development expenses. The second stage incorporates an upgraded Zefiro 40, while the third stage remains unchanged (Zefiro 9). The fourth stage (AVUM+) maintains its original design but benefits from increased propellant volume.
VegaC missions are launched from the ELV pad at the Guiana Space Centre. Its inaugural flight on 13 July 2022 successfully placed LARES 2 along with six additional satellites into orbit. However, during its second mission on 21 December 2022, a malfunction in the Zefiro 40 second stage caused the loss of two Pléiades Neo Earth observation satellites. This incident resulted in postponements of subsequent launches until late 2024 while redesign efforts focused on the rocket motor nozzle.
Stages
| Stages | Stage 1 P120C |
Stage 2 Zefiro 40 |
Stage 3 Zefiro 9 |
Stage 4 AVUM+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 13.38 m (43 ft 11 in) | 8.07 m (26 ft 6 in) | 4.12 m (13 ft 6 in) | 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) |
| Diameter | 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) | 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) | 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) |
| Propellant type | Solid (HTPB/AP/Al) |
Solid (HTPB/AP/Al) |
Solid (HTPB/AP/Al) |
Liquid (UDMH/N2O4) |
| Gross mass | 155,027 kg (341,776 lb) | 40,477 kg (89,237 lb) | 12,000 kg (26,000 lb) | 1,436 kg (3,166 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 141,634 kg (312,250 lb) | 36,239 kg (79,893 lb) | 10,567 kg (23,296 lb) | 740 kg (1,630 lb) |
| Average thrust | 4,323 kN (972,000 lbf) | 1,304 kN (293,000 lbf) | 317 kN (71,000 lbf) | 2.45 kN (550 lbf) |
| Burn time (sec.) | 135.7 | 92.9 | 119.6 | 924.8 (up to 5 burns) |
| Specific impulse | 279 s (2.74 km/s) | 293.5 s (2.878 km/s) | 295.9 s (2.902 km/s) | 315.8 s (3.097 km/s) |
Principal suppliers
The Vega project is a collaborative European initiative headed by Avio of Italy, which serves as the prime contractor responsible for development and production of the Zefiro 40, Zefiro 9, and AVUM+ stages. The P120C first stage is manufactured by Europropulsion, a joint venture between Avio and ArianeGroup. Dutch Space (Netherlands) provides the interstage connecting the first and second stages, while the Italian Aerospace Research Centre supplies the interstage between stages two and three. The payload fairing and onboard guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) computer are produced by Swiss company Beyond Gravity, whereas Belgian firm SABCA supplies thrust vector control systems.
Payload capability
According to Arianespace, Vega C is capable of placing payloads into a circular polar orbit at an altitude of .
To accommodate larger payloads, Beyond Gravity has redesigned the Vega C’s payload fairing, expanding it to a diameter of and a height exceeding , which nearly doubles the internal volume compared to the original Vega’s fairing dimensions of diameter and over in height.
Launch sequence
A standard Vega C ascent typically involves two AVUM+ engine ignitions, although each mission’s trajectory is tailored for optimal performance.
| Event | Time (seconds) |
Altitude km (mi) |
Velocity m/s (ft/s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition of P120C and lift-off | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P120C burnout and separation; ignition of Zefiro 40 | 142 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zefiro 40 burnout and separation | 245 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ignition of Zefiro 9 | 249 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fairing separation | 254 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zefiro 9 separation | 417 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First AVUM+ ignition | 448 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First AVUM+ cutoff | 1,090 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second AVUM+ ignition | 3,151 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second AVUM+ cutoff | 3,287 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spacecraft deployment | 3,427 | |}
Vega C+The Vega C+ represents a mid-term enhancement that incorporates the larger P160C as its first stage, replacing the P120C. This stage is lengthened by , allowing for an additional of propellant, which results in an increased payload capacity by . Vega EBuilding upon the Vega C+ platform, Vega E (Vega Evolution) introduces a combined upper stage that substitutes the Zefiro 9 and AVUM+ third and fourth stages with a single stage powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane. This modification is anticipated to raise payload capacity by approximately 25% compared to Vega C. Additionally, it facilitates deploying several satellites into distinct orbits during one mission. The new upper stage engine, designated M10, was jointly developed by Avio and the Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA). The M10 engine successfully completed testing in 2022, with Vega E’s inaugural flight scheduled for 2027. Preparations are underway to upgrade Launch Complex 3 at the Guiana Space Centre to accommodate Vega E launches. Vega NextScheduled for development after 2032, Vega Next will feature the M60 engine—an enlarged iteration of the liquid oxygen and methane-fueled M10 engine—as its primary propulsion system. This engine could enable a reusable first stage configuration. Flight history
See also
External links |
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