Latest Mission updates

Vega September 2, 2020

Launch operations resume for Vega Flight VV16

The chronology for Vega’s 16th liftoff has resumed, with the goal of launching this Proof of Concept flight for the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) tonight from French Guiana.

Leading to the decision was the evolution of Typhoon Maysak over South Korea – where the Jeju telemetry station is located, as well as today’s predicted meteorological conditions over the Guiana Space Center. Based on the trajectory of Vega Flight VV16, data from the Jeju station are essential for monitoring the mission’s progress.

The weather parameters will be monitored constantly until the precise moment of liftoff (T0) in determining whether or not to authorize the launch.

The new targeted liftoff timing for Flight VV16 is today, Wednesday, September 2 at precisely:

  • 9:51:10 p.m., Washington, D.C. time,
  • 10:51:10 p.m., Kourou, French Guiana time,
  • 1:51:10, Universal Time (UTC), on September 3,
  • 3:51:10 a.m., Paris & Rome time, on September 3.

The Vega launch vehicle and its 53 spacecraft payloads remain in stable and safe conditions at the Spaceport.

 

More details are available in the VV16 launch kit:

Vega Flight VV16
PDF / 818 KB
Vega September 1, 2020

Vega’s small-sat rideshare mission is delayed

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