Success for Vega di Avio, so Europe competes with SpaceX
Successfully launched Vega, the launcher designed and built in Italy by Avio. All the details
The European rocket Vega returns to space. After the last failed launch attempt in July 2019 and the postponements in recent weeks (between pandemic and bad weather), Vega successfully took off from the European base of Kourou (French Guiana) when in Italy it was 3.51 this morning.
THE ROLE OF AVIO IN VEGA
Designed and built by the Avio di Colleferro company, Vega released 53 nano, micro and mini satellites (from 1 to 400 kg) into space simultaneously, on different orbital heights, for the benefit of 21 customers from 13 different countries for the mission ' VV16 '.
The launch also marked the debut of the new European satellite distributor Small Spacecraft Mission Service (Ssms).
Vega, the lightest launcher in the Arianespace range, represents an advantage for space Europe which will have to compete with the American SpaceX in the rapidly expanding market for small satellites.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MISSION VV16
This mission (VV16) is a validation flight for the new European small satellite launch service. Jan Wörner, Director General of the European Space Agency, made no secret of his relief. Returning to the shared launch project, Ssms, he referred to "an extremely important project", almost a year after the failure of Flight 15.
The Ssms distributor is designed to help make European rockets a more attractive option for customers wishing to launch small satellites on rideshare missions. Piloted by the European Space Agency, the shared SMS launch system was developed by the Italian Avio.
This is a market with stiff competition particularly from SpaceX, which offers rides on its Falcon 9 rocket for as little as $ 1 million.
THE SATISFACTION OF ARIANESPACE
This is a proof-of-concept flight operated by Arianespace as part of the Esa's Light satellites, Low cost, Launch Opportunities (LLL) initiative. Decided by the ESA Council at ministerial level in 2016, it will pave the way for routine services for light satellites using the European Vega / Vega-C and Ariane 6 launch vehicles.
With this new platform dedicated to small satellite launches, Arianespace intends to score points in this rapidly expanding market of nano and microsatellites. Arianespace is the French company that markets satellite launches and organizes launch operations with Ariane (French), Vega (Italian) and Soyuz (Russian) rockets.
This success is all the more important for Arianespace as the mission involved twenty-one customers from thirteen countries.
IN VIEW OF VEGA C
The same modular shared launch prototype is planned for Vega C, the other launcher configuration, and a suitable architecture for the future Ariane-6 is also planned.
At the moment, the EU is developing two launchers: Ariane 6 with the French-German Ariane Group as prime contractor, destined to bring the satellites into high orbit, and Vega C with the Italian Avio, for medium-small satellites in low orbit.
53 SATELLITES RELEASED FOR 13 COUNTRIES
The 53 satellites released are among the smallest: they fall into the nano, micro and mini categories, from 1 to 400 kg, and will work for the benefit of 21 customers from 13 different countries. Of these countries, 8 are in the Old Continent. The European Space Agency (ESA), which followed all operations, contributed to the development of four satellites with scientific missions.
EUROPEAN CAPABILITIES CONFIRMED FOR ESA
"Vega's return to flight today demonstrates new launch service capabilities on a launch vehicle developed by ESA, while ensuring continuity for Europe's guaranteed and independent access to space." The European Space Agency underlines this.
Which recalls how "this flight marks the rapid and efficient completion of the corrective measures and actions carried out by Industry and by ESA as Qualification Authority of the Vega Launch System, following the recommendations made by the Independent Commission of 'Investigation that had analyzed the failure of flight VV15 on 10 July 2019 ”.
FOR THE NEW SPACE ECONOMY
The Vv16 mission "opens the door to convenient access to space for small satellites, which can now become routine, in a new approach: we are following the needs of the new market", called the 'new space economy'. Said the director of ESA's space transport, Daniel Neuenschwander.
For ESA CEO Jan Worner, “the launch demonstrates the agency's ability to use innovation to lower costs, which will allow new steps towards commercialization.
This is a proof-of-concept flight operated by Arianespace as part of ESA's Light satellites, Low cost, Launch Opportunities (LLL) initiative, decided by the ESA Council at ministerial level in 2016, to pave the way for services routinely for light satellites using the European Vega / Vega-C and Ariane 6 launch vehicles.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF TELESPAZIO (LEONARDO) TO THE GUYANA SPACE CENTER
After several months of forced shutdown due to Covis-19, the Kourou Space Center, in French Guiana, is back in operation. It resumed its activities with the launch campaigns for the Ariane 5 VA253 mission, which took off on August 15, and for the first Vega flight of the year, which departed today.
Telespazio (Jv between Leonardo 67% and Thales 33%), through the subsidiary Telespazio France, has worked at the GSC since the arrival of the Ariane program in Guyana, in the 1970s, and collaborates with the French space agency CNES, Arianespace and ArianeGroup to ensure the correct execution of all launch operations.
The next launch at the Guyana Space Center will be a Soyuz rocket, scheduled for mid-October.
FRACCARO: "VICTORY OF THE COUNTRY SYSTEM"
Satisfaction also from the institutions. “The Italy of space is flying again: the launch of Vega, the European satellite carrier developed by our supply chain, is a victory for the whole country system which strengthens the Italian leadership in the sector. Riccardo Fraccaro, undersecretary of state with responsibility for space activities policies declared. "As a government, we have invested heavily in the evolution of the Vega launcher, managing to collect, on the occasion of the Seville ministerial , numerous adhesions to the program from European countries".
ITALY SPATIAL POWER
In fact, we recall that at the ministerial held last November Italy established itself as the second contributor to the budget with a total subscription of 2 billion and 288 million euros.
“Thanks to this launch, important scientific experiments and tests will be carried out in the health field, as well as improving Earth observation and telecommunications. With Vega, Italy can develop the space sector like never before, involving all operators in the sector, from researchers to industry, from SMEs to large companies. Space is increasingly the place to focus on for the growth of the country in terms of new technologies, scientific research and the economic return on investments ". Fraccaro concluded.
RANZO: "READY NEXT FLIGHT OF VEGA"
"The excellent performance of the SMS adapter, which allowed – a first time for Europe – to bring 53 satellites into orbit in a single flight, increases the ability of Vega to respond, in an ever-growing market, to ever increasing demands. more demanding than customers ". Thus Giulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio, commented on the success of the Vega launch.
The rocket developed by Avio debuted in February 2012. It had collected 14 consecutive successful missions before FalconEye1's failure last year.
“Thanks to the resumption of operational activities at the space base, we can now already think about the next Vega flight scheduled for November” concluded Ranzo.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/successo-per-vega-di-avio-cosi-leuropa-fa-concorrenza-a-spacex/ on Thu, 03 Sep 2020 14:10:26 +0000.