Vega Flight VV07

with PerúSAT-1 and SkySats-4 to -7

overview

Launch vehicle
Vega
Launch date
September 15, 2016
Status
Success
Payload(s)
PerúSAT-1, SkySat-4, SkySat-5, SkySat-6, SkySat-7
Customer(s)
Airbus Defence and Space, Terra Bella
Prime contractor(s)
Airbus Defence and Space, SSL
Launch site
Spaceport, French Guiana (Guiana Space Center)
Orbit
Sun-synchronous orbit

mission
description

A multi-payload Vega mission for Earth observation

For its seventh launch of the year, and seventh Vega mission since the light launcher began operations at the Guiana Space Center French Guiana, in 2012, Arianespace will orbit the PerúSAT-1 satel-lite as part of a turnkey contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the Peruvian space agency CONIDA, and the SkySats-4 to 7 satellites for the American operator Terra Bella, a Google company.

With this multi-payload Vega mission, Arianespace clearly confirms that its light launcher offers the adaptability needed to meet emerging requirements in the broad-based Earth observation market.

Payloads

PerúSAT-1

perusat

PerúSAT-1 is Peru’s first Earth observation satellite. Ordered within the scope of an agreement between the Peruvian and French governments, this launch is being carried out under a turnkey contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the Peruvian space agency CONIDA.

PerúSAT-1 is a powerful optical observation satellite featuring very high resolution (0.7 meters). It is equipped with a latest-generation silicon carbide optical sensor.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France, using an AstroBus-S platform and its NAOMI instrument, the satellite will be injected into Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 675 km. PerúSAT-1 will operate at an altitude of 695 km to take pictures of the entire globe.

PerúSAT-1 will be the 115th satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space to be launched by Arianespace. Arianespace’s order book includes 13 more satellites from this manufacturer, along with a special order for the OneWeb constellation, involving over 600 satellites.

SkySats-4 to -7

skysats

SkySat-4, 5, 6 and -7 are the first four of these micro-satellites to be launched by Arianespace for Terra Bella, a new customer and a commercial operator of Earth observation satellites.

Terra Bella is a Google company using data from space to solve problems on Earth. SkySat-4, 5, 6, and 7 will augment Terra Bella’s existing 3 on-orbit satellites—growing the constellation and enabling Terra Bella to help enterprise customers solve the challenges affecting their business and generate insights into important global economic, environmental, and humanitarian challenges.

The four satellites, SkySats-4 to 7, will be injected into a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km. They will be used to provide very-high-resolution (sub meters) maps of the entire Earth.

countdown
and flight

The countdown comprises all final preparation steps for the launcher, the satellites and the launch site, in-cluding the steps leading up to authorization of P80 first-stage ignition.

events
  • Start of final countdown
  • Activation of Multi-Functional Unit (MFU)
  • Activation of Inertial Reference System (IRS)
  • Activation of telemetry
  • show the countdown
  • Liftoff
    00:00
  • show the countdown
  • SkySat-4 release command
  • SkySat-5 release command
  • SkySat-6 release command
  • SkySat-7 release command
  • 3rd ignition of AVUM
  • 3rd cut-off of AVUM
  • 4rd ignition of AVUM
  • 4d cut-off of AVUM
  • PerúSAT-1 release command