Closing authentic Vega launches Sentinel-2C

WASHINGTON — The ultimate flight of the unique model of Europe’s Vega rocket efficiently positioned an Earth commentary satellites into orbit Sept. 4.

The Vega rocket lifted off from the European spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, at 9:50 p.m. Japanese. The launch was delayed a day due to {an electrical} problem with floor programs that halted the countdown a number of hours earlier than the scheduled liftoff time.

Vega deployed its payload, the Sentinel-2C satellite tv for pc, right into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 775 kilometers practically an hour after liftoff.

Sentinel-2C is a 1,143-kilogram spacecraft constructed by Airbus Defence and Area for the Copernicus Earth commentary program of the European Fee and European Area Company. The spacecraft carries a digital camera that gives imagery in 13 seen and shortwave infrared bands at a decision of 10 meters.

Knowledge from Sentinel-2C shall be used for quite a lot of Earth observations functions. “It was an optical mission conceived initially to help necessities that have been coming from the land” reminiscent of forestry and agriculture, stated Simonetta Cheli, director of Earth commentary packages at ESA, of the general Sentinel-2 program at an Aug. 29 briefing.  Nevertheless, Sentinel-2 imagery has discovered makes use of elsewhere, from bathymetry to methane monitoring.

Sentinel-2C will in the end exchange Sentinel-2A, launched in 2015 and nearing the top of its design life. A fourth satellite tv for pc, Sentinel-2D, is slated to launch in 2028 to interchange Sentinel-2B and supply continuity for this system into the 2030s.

A next-generation satellite tv for pc, Sentinel-NG, is underneath research that Cheli stated might supply improved spatial decision and extra spectral bands. ESA plans to hunt approval from its member states on the 2025 ministerial convention to start work on that program.

The launch was the 22^nd and closing flight of the unique Vega automobile, which made its introduction in 2012. The automobile had an ideal report till its 15^th launch in July 2019, when the rocket’s second stage suffered a malfunction that led to the lack of a UAE reconnaissance satellite tv for pc. Two flights later, a second Vega rocket failed in November 2020 when improperly related cables induced a lack of management of its liquid-propellant higher stage.

The Vega is being phased out in favor of the extra highly effective Vega C, which made its introduction in July 2022. Nevertheless, the rocket’s second launch in December 2022 failed on account of a flaw within the nozzle of its Zefiro-40 second stage motor, which isn’t used on the unique Vega.

The Vega C has but to renew launches, however is scheduled to return to flight in November, carrying the Sentinel-1C radar imaging satellite tv for pc. Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA’s director of house transportation, stated on the Aug. 29 briefing {that a} closing static-fire take a look at of the motor and its new nozzle is scheduled for October.

“There is superb confidence,” he stated, “that this take a look at at first of October shall be profitable.” That’s based mostly on a earlier, profitable take a look at of the redesigned motor in Could.

If the upcoming take a look at is profitable, he stated the Vega C ought to make its return to flight in late November. That date, he stated, has held agency for greater than a 12 months because the Zefiro-40 motor was redesigned and examined. “We’ve been following a plan that was set out in the course of final 12 months and I’m very assured that we will make it with Vega C’s return ultimately of November.”

Assuming a profitable return to flight for Vega C, Tolker-Nielsen stated the automobile will ramp as much as 4 launches in 2025 and 5 in 2026 and past.

The launch additionally marks a starting of transition in launch providers tasks between Arianespace and Avio, the prime contractor for Vega and Vega C. Stéphane Israël, chief government of Arianespace, stated on the briefing his firm will deal with launch providers by the VV29 launch late subsequent 12 months; this launch was designated VV24. Avio will then take over launch providers from Arianespace.

“We’ll talk about with the completely different clients, beginning with the European Fee, concerning the handover of those contracts in a totally cooperative mode,” he stated. Avio took over commercialization of the Vega C originally of September, he stated. “Arianespace just isn’t in cost any extra of promoting and advertising Vega, nonetheless, we’re totally in command of the operation of Vega as much as VV29.”

Associated