Europe’s Vega small-satellite launcher will fly its remaining mission as quickly as Wednesday evening (Sept. 4), and you’ll watch the swan track dwell.
The Vega, which is operated by France-based firm Arianespace, had been scheduled to elevate off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana tonight (Sept. 3) at 9:50 p.m. EDT (10:50 p.m. native time in Kourou; 0150 GMT on Sept. 4), carrying the Sentinel-2C Earth-observing satellite tv for pc skyward. Electrical points with floor hyperlinks scuttled that attempt, nonetheless, and groups are working to prepare for a possible attempt on Wednesday on the identical time.
The European House Company (ESA) will webcast the launch dwell, beginning at 9:30 p.m. EDT (0130 GMT). House.com will carry the feed if, as anticipated, ESA makes it out there.
Vega stands about 100 toes (30 meters) tall and may ship 3,300 kilos (1,500 kilograms) of payload to a round orbit 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth, in line with Arianespace’s spec sheet.
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The rocket debuted in February 2012 and has flown a complete of 21 missions so far, 19 of them profitable. The upcoming mission would be the final trip for the usual model of the Vega; Arianespace is transitioning its smallsat operations to the brand new, extra highly effective Vega C.
The Vega C has launched twice so far — in July 2022, then once more in December of that 12 months. The primary mission was profitable however the second failed as a consequence of a flaw within the rocket’s second-stage nozzle. The Vega C is scheduled to return to flight late this 12 months.
The ultimate Vega launch will service Sentinel-2, a mission run by Europe’s Copernicus Earth-observation program. Sentinel-2 makes use of twin satellites — at the moment, Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B — to review our planet from 488 miles (786 km) up, amassing “high-resolution optical imagery for a variety of purposes together with land, water and atmospheric monitoring,” in line with an ESA mission description.
Sentinel-2C is designed to interchange Sentinel-2A, which launched atop a Vega rocket in June 2015. Sentinel-2B shall be changed by Sentinel-2D, which doesn’t but have a agency launch date.
Editor’s observe: This story was up to date at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sept. 3 with information of the scrubbed try on that day as a consequence of electrical points.
