Europe’s Vega-C rocket successfully launched an Earth-observation satellite, Copernicus Sentinel-1C, on its first mission since a catastrophic failure in 2022. The launch occurred at 4:20 p.m. EST (2120 GMT) from Kourou, French Guiana, and marked the return to flight for the four-stage rocket.
The Vega-C was originally scheduled to launch on December 4 but was delayed due to a mechanical issue with the launch gantry. Sentinel-1C is part of the European Union’s Copernicus Earth-observation program, which aims to provide high-resolution imagery of the planet.
After a two-year hiatus, Vega-C successfully lifted off and flew its fourth stage using liquid propellant for precision orbital insertions. The rocket’s upper stage deployed Sentinel-1C to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 435 miles (700 kilometers).
The launch was significant as it marked the debut of Vega-C since its last failure in 2022. The rocket has now completed three launches and is expected to have around 15 more launches on its backlog.
Vega-C’s return to flight follows the debut launch of Europe’s larger Ariane 6 rocket over the summer, which filled the gap in launch vehicle needs for smaller payloads. The space agency plans to design an upgraded version of Vega-C, called Vega-E, with a new liquid oxygen-methane engine for its upper stage.
The addition of Sentinel-1C will greatly aid the extensive data collected as part of the Sentinel-1 program, which has generated over 30 petabytes of data and more than 14 million products. The satellite is equipped with C-band synthetic aperture radar instruments and a new Automatic Identification System (AIS) for use by seafaring ships on Earth.
The launch was made possible after design and manufacturing changes were made to the vehicle’s second-stage rocket engine nozzle. ESA has already begun designing an upgraded version of Vega-C, which plans to sign implementation contracts with ESA before the end of the year.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-europes-vega-c-rocket-launch-today-on-1st-flight-since-2022-video