Vega (2012 - 2024)

Vega is a light-lift launcher of the European Space Agency. With a height of 30 metres, it was the smallest launcher taking off from Europe’s spaceport. Its take-off weight was 138 tonnes, compared with 780 tonnes for Ariane 5 and 380 tonnes for Soyuz.

This launcher was designed to meet the growing demand for small satellites that do not require a heavy-lift launcher like Ariane 5. Vega was capable of putting payloads of up to 2,500 kg into orbit in low orbit, at an altitude of 800 km.

Developed at Italy’s initiative, Vega took off for the first time from Europe’s spaceport on 13 February 2012. Seven ESA member countries participated in the programme (Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden), contributing more than €450 million towards Vega’s development costs. The launchers Vega were built in French Guiana by the Italian company AVIO.

Although it was not designed specifically for scientific satellites, Vega’s characteristics made it an ideal launcher for scientific satellites targeting Low Earth Orbit, as demonstrated by its most iconic missions:

- IXV (2015), an atmospheric re-entry technology demonstrator;
- LISA Pathfinder (2015), a demonstrator of instruments for measuring gravitational waves;
- Sentinel-2A, 2B and 2C (2015, 2017 and 2024), environmental monitoring;
- ADM-Aeolus (2018), a global scale wind study;
- Pléiades Neo (2021), Earth observation and acquisition of very high-resolution images.
 

In total, Vega carried out 22 missions, with 20 successful flights, sending more than 100 satellites into space for 22 countries. The launcher put into orbit 12 satellites belonging to European institutions.

Click here to find out more about the history of Vega launches!

The Vega launch complex (ELV) was built at the end of the 2000s, refurbishing the first Ariane launch facilities (ELA1), which in turn were the result of the reconversion of the Europa rocket launch facilities built in 1970. This reuse saves construction time, optimises costs and minimises the environmental impact of creating new infrastructure.

The Vega launch complex (ELV) is a vast, open, 8-hectare zone, with a single infrastructure for the assembly and lift-off of the light-lift launcher. It includes ancillary service buildings, which support a mobile gantry. The gantry is used to assemble Vega’s five components (the four stages and the fairing) and to fill the fourth stage with liquid propellants before lift-off. 

These facilities have been in use for Vega-C since its maiden flight on 13 July 2022.
To find out more, click here.
 

Launch Centre No. 3, initially dedicated to Ariane 5 to carry out launcher commissioning and control operations, has also been put to good use for the small-lift launcher. A room had been specially set up to accommodate the Vega team. For Vega-C, on the other hand, the launch centre was moved away from the launch pad and relocated to the Technical Centre.