https://spacewatch.global/tag/vega/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:26:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/vega/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/spacewatchgl-opinion-pax-technologica/ Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70327
Written by Giles Rabin
The year 2025 will be a landmark year, with the confirmed return to flight of Ariane 6 and its remarkable ramp-up, the appointment of a “next-former” NASA administrator, SpaceX's Fordist launch figures, and the arrival of the New Glenn heavy-lift launcher. We are entering an industrial era of space travel, where the former craft of space travel is becoming an industry like any other, producing massively with economies of scale. With New Glenn and Starship, weight is no longer a constraint, and the cost per kg in low orbit is approaching the price per kg of a parcel sent to another continent by express delivery.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/09/sentinel-2c-launches-aboard-final-vega-rocket-launch/ Thu, 05 Sep 2024 06:00:59 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=56853 The third Copernicus Sentinel-2 (Sentinel-2C) satellite launched today, 5 September at 03:50 CEST aboard the final Vega rocket from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana, subsequently separating from the Vega rocket at approximately 04:48 CEST. . The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission provides high-resolution optical imagery for various applications including land, water and atmospheric monitoring]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/05/vega-c-zefiro-40-rocket-motor-completes-hot-fire-test/ Fri, 31 May 2024 06:00:10 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55425 Vega-C prime contractor Avio has tested the Zefiro-40 solid rocket motor, the second stage of the Vega-C rocket at its Salto di Quirra test facility in Sardinia, Italy. The rocket motor features an improved engine nozzle design, necessary to prepare for Vega-C's return to flight by the end of 2024. The initial post-test review indicated that the new nozzle assembly performed as expected throughout the scheduled 94-second burning time of the test, simulating a nominal in-flight performance.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/10/oq-technology-confirms-successful-launch-of-macsat-satellite/ Wed, 11 Oct 2023 06:00:44 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=51650 OQ Technology, a Luxembourg based satellite communication service, announced on the 10th of October that its low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, MACSAT, successfully launched aboard Arianespace’s Vega. The satellite was launched from French Guiana at 10:37 pm local time on the 8th of October. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/10/thailand-and-airbus-successfully-launch-theos-2-satellite/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 06:00:33 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=51610 The Airbus-built THEOS-2 Earth observation satellite has been successfully launched on a Vega rocket from Kourou, Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand (GISTDA) selected Airbus as a partner for its next-generation national geo-information system in 2018.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/12/european-vega-c-mission-fails-due-to-motor-anomaly/ Wed, 21 Dec 2022 07:00:23 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=45583 Approximately 2 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff an anomaly occurred on the rocket’s Zefiro 40 second stage, thus ending Arianespace’s Vega C mission, the company said. Data analyses are currently in progress to determine the reasons of the launch failure.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/10/arianespace-signs-cubesat-services-agreement-with-sab-ls/ Mon, 10 Oct 2022 06:00:33 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=43846 Launch services provider Arianespace, and SAB Launch Services (SAB-LS), specialized in launch services for small satellites, signed a multi-year framework agreement for the provision of end-to-end services for nanosatellites planned to fly on Arianespace missions.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/07/reorbit-welcomes-john-auburn-as-chief-strategy-officer/ Wed, 06 Jul 2022 06:00:06 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=41991 John Auburn, former Managing Director and CCO of Astroscale, joins ReOrbit as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and as a Member of the Board, said Sethu Saveda Suvanam, Founder and CEO or ReOrbit. The company welcomes Mr Auburn’s expertise in building solutions and upscaling start-ups. He will help to identify the necessary steps and lead the way in making ReOrbit a market leader in its field.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/03/spacewatchgl-opinion-european-spaceports/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:00:45 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39899 A new €1 billion fund called “Cassini” was announced at the last European Space Conference, this fund will help to boost start-ups and space innovation, including supporting the plans for a more comprehensive strategy on developing European space launch vehicles.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/03/antonov-an-225-airplane-damaged-by-russians-attack/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 07:00:25 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39895 The world's largest cargo plane by length and weight was severely damaged when Russians attacked Gostomel airport near Kyiv, Ukraine reported. The aircraft was used to transport Ariane rocket components, airlift aid during crises in other countries and transport medical supplies.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/03/soyuz-launches-operated-by-arianespace-and-starsem-suspended/ Fri, 04 Mar 2022 07:00:09 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39680 Arianespace is strictly abiding by the sanctions decided by the international community (EU, USA and UK) following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the company said. The operation of the Soyuz launcher from Europe’s Spaceport, French Guiana and from Baikonur, Kazakhstan through Starsem have been governed by the France-Russia inter-governmental, and the ESA–Roscosmos agreement. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/02/arianespaces-successfully-deploys-34-oneweb-satellites/ Mon, 14 Feb 2022 07:00:26 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=39181 Flight VS27, deploying 34 OneWeb satellites, was Arianespace’s first mission of the year and the 340th for the Arianespace family comprising Ariane, Soyuz and Vega. The number of satellites in orbit in the OneWeb constellation is now 428. Soyuz, the medium-lift, four-stage launch vehicle carrying the spacecraft, was produced by Roscosmos’ Progress Space Rocket Center.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/01/breton-sets-out-europes-2022-space-power-ambitions/ Wed, 26 Jan 2022 07:00:34 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=38771&preview=true&preview_id=38771 Europe has to accelerate the development of its space assets and architectures to “weigh in on the global stage”, the European commissioner for internal market, Thierry Breton, said. The commission will therefore launch the European Space Launcher Alliance, the "first ever" Space Partnership and a European Space & Defence Strategy, he said.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/11/dawn-aerospace-and-orbit-fab-to-enable-greenon-orbit-refuelling/ Thu, 18 Nov 2021 07:00:13 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=37275 Orbit Fab and Dawn Aerospace announced a collaboration to make on-orbit refuelling available to satellites utilising green propellants such as nitrous oxide and propylene. The collaboration was announced at Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen. The “Gas Stations in Space” company Orbit Fab offers refuelling services in space and developed a port known as RAFTI.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/09/ariane-6s-launch-pad-in-french-guiana-inaugurated/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 06:00:32 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=36124&preview=true&preview_id=36124 After eight years of work: the new launch pad for Ariane 6 in French Guiana has been inaugurated, the French space agency CNES said. "ESA and ArianeGroup now have the means to launch the future Ariane 6, whose first flight is expected in 2022", CNES said.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/08/vega-launches-pleiades-neo-4-and-four-cubesats-into-orbit/ Tue, 17 Aug 2021 06:00:12 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=35164&preview=true&preview_id=35164 Success for Vega: Arianespace launched the 19th Vega mission (VV19), to orbit Pléiades Neo 4, the second very high-resolution satellite of the new Airbus Defence and Space’s Earth Observation satellite constellation, as well as four cubesats for ESA and Unseenlabs.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/07/esa-contracts-avio-to-develop-3-stage-vega-e-launcher/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 06:00:32 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=34547&preview=true&preview_id=34547 The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a €120 million contract with the Italian manufacturer Avio to continue the development and manufacturing of the Vega launch system beyond 2025, the agency said. The contract, worth €118.8 million, engages Avio to prepare a new Vega launch vehicle version called Vega-E, which will make extensive use of Vega-C building blocks, ESA said. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/06/chinas-cas-space-to-develop-powerful-solid-propellant-rocket/ Fri, 04 Jun 2021 06:00:17 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=33286&preview=true&preview_id=33286 The Chinese rocket company CAS Space started to develop what it expects will be "the world's most powerful solid-propellant carrier rocket", the company's chairman told China Daily. Yang Yiqiang, a senior rocket scientist and founder of CAS Space, told China Daily that the rocket - ZK 2 - will be ready for its debut flight before the end of 2022.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2020/12/spacewatchgl-interviews-daniel-neuenschwander-of-esa/ Mon, 14 Dec 2020 09:00:37 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=29049 https://spacewatch.global/2020/11/spaceflight-to-launch-new-rideshare-vehicles-in-2021/ Fri, 13 Nov 2020 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=28176&preview=true&preview_id=28176 Spaceflight to launch new rideshare vehicles in 2021]]>