Kourou, December 4, 2024 – The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing for the return of the Vega C rocket, scheduled to launch at 22:20 CET from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. This follows a nearly two-year hiatus after the rocket's inaugural commercial flight ended in failure.
The Vega C, an upgraded version of the original Vega rocket, boasts the capacity to carry approximately 800 kilograms more payload, offers cost savings, and can deploy satellites into various orbits. Its first launch occurred in July 2022 without incident; however, a subsequent flight in December 2022 was marred by a technical failure in the Zefiro-40 engine, leading to the rocket's destruction shortly after takeoff.
An investigation revealed unexpected erosion in the nozzle throat lining of the engine, attributed to non-homogeneous material. Marino Fragnito from the main contractor, Avio, noted that understanding the nozzle issue was challenging, as quality controls on the Ukrainian-manufactured component were limited. The nozzle is now produced in France and subjected to rigorous testing.
The Vega C's return is crucial for ESA, which seeks to enhance its capacity to launch smaller satellites independently. Stefano Bianchi, head of ESA's flight programs, emphasized the rocket's importance alongside the Ariane 6, which successfully launched this summer after delays. The Ariane 6 is designed for larger payloads.
The setbacks with both rockets have placed Europe’s launch sector in a precarious position, leading ESA to occasionally rely on SpaceX's Falcon 9 for satellite launches. Experts, including Martin Tajmar from TU Dresden, express skepticism about Vega C's commercial viability due to high launch costs, but acknowledge its role in maintaining European independence in space capabilities.
The Vega C has already secured over a dozen contracts, with the Sentinel-1C satellite from the Copernicus Earth observation program set to be its first payload upon return.
ESA and Avio project confidence in the upcoming launch, with Bianchi stating, “We have done everything we can.”