Vega flight VV16
| Company type | Space launch mission |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | September 3, 2020 |
| Headquarters | Kourou , French Guiana |
Area served | Low Earth Orbit |
| Products | Satellite deployment services |
Vega flight VV16, referred to as the SSMS PoC Flight (Small Spacecraft Mission Service Proof of Concept Flight), represented the 16th mission of the Vega launch vehicle. This mission was significant as it was the first Vega operation following the VV15 incident in July 2019, which led to the destruction of the FalconEye1 satellite.
Payload
This commercial rideshare mission to low Earth orbit was the first of its kind for Vega and supported 21 clients by deploying a total of 65 satellites. Among these, 53 satellites were directly released by the rocket, while an additional 12 were subsequently deployed from one of those satellites, all organized within the modular SSMS dispenser system.
Out of the 53 satellites deployed by the launcher, seven were microsatellites with masses ranging from 15.4 kg up to 150 kg (including one microsatellite carrying a cluster of 12 CubeSats). The remaining 46 consisted of smaller CubeSats, varying in size from 0.25U to 6U and weighing between 0.250 kg and 7 kg:
| Name | Mass | Orbit | Lifetime | Owner | Manufacturer | Application | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATHENA | 138 kg | 515 km SSO | 2 years | PointView (Facebook) | Maxar Technologies | Telecommunication | |
| GHGSat-C1 | 15.4 kg | 515 km SSO | 3 years | GHGSat | SFL | Remote sensing | |
| NEMO-HD | 65 kg | 515 km SSO | 3–5 years | Space-SI | SFL with Space-SI | Remote sensing | |
| UPM-Sat 2 | 45 kg | 515 km SSO | 2 years | IDR-UPM | IDR-UPM | Tech. demo. | |
| ESAIL | 112 kg | 515 km SSO | 4 years | ExactEarth | LuxSpace | Remote sensing | |
| ION CubeSat Carrier (& Flock-4v 15–26) | 150 kg | 515 km SSO | 4 years | Planet Labs | D-Orbit | Tech. demo. | Contained 12 CubeSats released later (Flock-4v 15–26). |
| NewSat-6 | 43.5 kg | 515 km SSO | 3–4 years | Satellogic | Satellogic | Remote sensing | |
| SpaceBEE 10-21 | 530 km SSO | Swarm Technology | Swarm Technology | Telecommunication | Twelve CubeSats (0.25U) | ||
| Flock-4v 1-14 | 530 km SSO | Planet Labs | Planet Labs | Remote sensing | Fourteen CubeSats (3U); part of a larger batch of 26, with remaining twelve deployed by ION CubeSat Carrier. | ||
| Lemur-2 112-119 | 530 km SSO | SPIRE Global | SPIRE Global | Telecommunication | Eight CubeSats (3U) | ||
| ³Cat-5 /A and /B | 530 km SSO | UPC, ESA | Elecnor Deimos, Tyvak | Remote sensing | Two CubeSats (6U) | ||
| Other CubeSats | 530 km SSO | = Various academic and commercial owners | = Various manufacturers | = Remote sensing, research, telecommunication |
Launch campaign
The launch schedule was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard personnel at the Guiana Space Centre and curb viral transmission in French Guiana, all launch operations were halted starting 16 March 2020. Activities related to VV16 and Ariane flight VA253 recommenced on 28 April 2020, accompanied by rigorous health protocols. Upon resuming on 11 May 2020, the Guiana Space Centre focused its efforts primarily on the VV16 and VA253 missions.
Initially planned for 19 June 2020 at 01:51:10 UTC, the launch encountered several delays due to unfavorable high-altitude wind conditions and weather, first postponing to 27 June, then 29 June, and later to 17 August 2020. Additional holdbacks were implemented to prevent overlap with the Ariane flight VA253 launch scheduled for 15 August.
On 1 September 2020, Arianespace announced a further delay triggered by Typhoon Maysak posing a threat to a vital telemetry station located on Jeju Island, South Korea. This station is essential for monitoring the Vega rocket after liftoff. Preparations secured the site before the typhoon’s arrival, with the new launch date contingent on storm developments. Ultimately, the launch was rescheduled first to 2 September and then to 3 September 2020 at 01:51:10 UTC.
Flight
The mission lifted off from the ELV pad at Centre Spatial Guyanais in Kourou. It deployed satellites into two closely related sun-synchronous orbits: initially releasing the seven heaviest payloads at approximately 515 km altitude between 40 minutes 25 seconds and 52 minutes 35 seconds after liftoff. Subsequently, the upper stage reignited to position 46 lighter satellites into an orbit near 530 km altitude between 1 hour 42 minutes 16 seconds and 1 hour 44 minutes 56 seconds post-launch.