Vega: The 11th consecutive successful mission

Vega Track Record continues: today the first launch in orbit of a moroccan satellite

November 8 – Vega, the European launcher designed, realized and built by Avio, successfully completed its 11th consecutive mission, further consolidating world primacy in terms of precision and reliability. In its third 2017 mission, V. has put in orbit the satellite MOHAMMED VI-A, an observation satellite made by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus for Morocco. The mission departed from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana on November 7 at 22:42 (2:42 pm on November 8 in Italy).

“Vega continues its track record of consecutive successes”, commented Giulio Ranzo, Avio Managing Director. “We are proud to have contributed to giving access to the Space to a new country, the Morocco Kingdom. This result confirms the effectiveness of collaboration with Arianespace and the European industrial partners. High customer confidence, meanwhile, has led Arianespace to sign a new contract for six launches of V. and four of V. C, for a total of ten flights between 2019 and 2021″, added Ranzo. “Meanwhile, in our Colleferro plant, we continue to develop more and more powerful launchers: after completing the second P120 enclosure, we’re also ready to test the first Z40 engine, the second V. C stage “.

What’s Vega ?

Vega is the European launcher designed, developed and built in Italy by Avio through its subsidiary ELV (30% owned by ASI). It’s a last generation vector, studied to transfer satellites in low orbit (between 300 and 1,500 km from the earth) for institutional and scientific purposes, as well as for observing the earth surface and monitoring the environment. Financed for 65% by Italy and made at the Avio plant in Colleferro, near Rome, V. is able to launch into orbit satellites weighing up to 2000 kg and complete the European launchers family. Vega, named after the star of the Lyra constellation, it’s a single-carrier vector without side booster, with three solid-state P80 propellers, Zefiro 23, Zefiro 9, and a liquid propellant stage for orbital maneuvers, the AVUM.

Credits Avio.com