Vega flight VV17
| Company type | Space launch mission |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 17 November 2020 |
| Headquarters | Kourou , French Guiana |
| Products | Satellite launch services |
| Parent | Arianespace / European Space Agency (ESA) |
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Template:Infobox rocket launch
Vega flight VV17 marked the Template:Ordinal mission of the Vega launcher.[1] The vehicle encountered a failure shortly after liftoff, resulting in the loss of the mission.[2][3] This incident represented the second unsuccessful flight for Vega, following the failure of VV15 in 2019.
Payload
The mission carried two satellites, SEOSat-Ingenio and TARANIS, along with their respective adapters and dispensers, amounting to a combined mass near 1,192 kilograms (2,628 lb).[1]
SEOSat-Ingenio
Positioned on top, SEOSat-Ingenio had an approximate launch weight of 750 kg (1,650 lb) and was designed to operate for seven years.[4] Its deployment was scheduled roughly 54 minutes post-launch into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude close to 670 km (with a semi-major axis near 7050 km) and a descending node local mean time around 10:30. This satellite would have been the Template:Ordinal launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Template:Ordinal by Airbus Defence and Space via Arianespace.[1]
TARANIS
TARANIS, weighing approximately 175 kg at launch and designed for an operational lifespan ranging from 2 to 4 years, occupied the lower payload position. Its insertion into a sun-synchronous orbit was scheduled roughly 1 hour and 42 minutes post-launch, targeting an altitude near 676 km with a descending node mean local time close to 10:30. This satellite would have represented the 18th satellite launched by CNES and the 7th constructed internally by the agency, deployed via Arianespace.
Flight
The mission commenced from the ELV launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre located in Kourou, French Guiana, on 17 November 2020 at 01:52:20 UTC (local time: 16 November 2020 at 22:52:20).
Launch failure
The mission plan involved placing satellites into two closely spaced sun-synchronous orbits at approximately 675 km altitude, beginning between 54 and 102 minutes after liftoff. Following this, the upper stage was intended to reignite to facilitate controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. However, around twenty minutes and thirty seconds after liftoff, the range operations manager observed a deterioration in the rocket’s flight path. The vehicle experienced a failure shortly after launch, resulting in mission loss. The rocket debris fell within an uninhabited zone near the designated drop area for the Zefiro 9 stage. Investigations attributed the failure primarily to human error. This incident marked Vega's second unsuccessful launch in its last three attempts.
Inquiry commission
Preliminary analysis indicated that an issue with the integration of the fourth-stage AVUM (Attitude and Vernier Upper Module) thrust vector control system was likely responsible for losing control of the launcher. Following established procedures, Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) formed an independent Inquiry Commission on 18 November 2020. The commission was co-chaired by ESA’s Director of Space Transport, Daniel Neuenschwander, and Arianespace’s Chief Executive Officer, Stéphane Israël. Their mandate included delivering comprehensive evidence explaining why corrective measures were not implemented to detect and resolve the integration fault. Additionally, they were tasked with outlining a strategy to ensure Vega’s reliable return to flight. The findings were to be jointly disclosed by Arianespace and ESA.
The commission’s investigation suggested that during assembly, two cables transmitting control signals to the thrust vectoring actuators on AVUM’s RD-843 engine had been mistakenly interchanged. This miswiring caused guidance commands to activate incorrect actuators, rendering the vehicle uncontrollable and causing it to spin out of control. Consequently, the payloads failed to attain orbital velocity, leading to reentry and destruction of the rocket within Earth’s atmosphere.
On 17 December 2020, the Independent Enquiry Commission released its final report confirming that improper routing of two control cables on AVUM’s RD-843 engine was indeed the root cause of failure. The commission further determined that misleading instructions within the integration procedures were not identified by personnel due to inconsistencies between specific requirements and prescribed verification controls.
Aftermath
Arianespace planned to recommence Vega missions by the close of March 2021. The Vega launch vehicle successfully resumed operations on 28 April 2021, deploying the Pleiades Neo 3 Earth observation satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space.
See also
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Vega flight VV17 launch kit" (PDF). arianespace.com. Arianespace. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ↑ @NASASpaceflight (17 November 2020). "Arianespace confirms Vega has failed for the second time in three missions" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 November 2020 – via Twitter.
- ↑ Clark, Stephen (16 November 2020). "Live coverage: Arianespace investigating "anomaly" soon after Vega launch". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ↑ "Taranis". CNES. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
External links
- Vega flight VV17 on the Arianespace website