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Vega (launcher)
Encyclopedia
Vega is an expendable launch system
being developed for Arianespace
jointly by the Italian Space Agency
and the European Space Agency
. Development began in 1998 and the first launch, which will take place from the Guiana Space Centre, is planned for early 2012. It is named after the star Vega
.
It is designed to launch small payloads: 300 to 2,000 kg satellite
s for scientific and Earth observation
missions to polar
and low Earth
orbits. The reference Vega mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 1,500 kilograms to an altitude of 700 kilometers.
Vega is a single-body launcher (no strap-on boosters) with three solid rocket
stages, the P80 first stage, the Zefiro 23 second stage, the Zefiro 9 third stage, and a liquid rocket
upper module called AVUM. The technology developed for the P80 program will also be used for future Ariane
developments. Italy
is the leading contributor to the Vega program with 65%; other participants include France
(15%), Spain
(6%), Belgium
(5.63%), The Netherlands
(3.5%), Switzerland
(1.34%) and Sweden
(0.8%).
indicates a Vega launcher will be able to carry 1500 kilograms (3,306.9 lb) to a circular polar orbit
at an altitude of 700 kilometres (435 mi). Arianespace is marketing Vega as a launch system tailored for missions to low Earth
and sun-synchronous
orbits. However, in its qualification flight VEGA should insert its main payload of 400 kg, the LARES (satellite)
, into a 1450 km orbit with an inclination of 71.5 deg.
Each of the three engine types intended for the three stages of the Vega had to be commissioned with two test-firings: one for design evaluation, one in final flight configuration.
Inter-force Test Range, on the Mediterranean
coast in southeast Sardinia
. The test was a complete success.
After a critical design review based on the completed first test firings, on 28 March 2007, the second test-firing of the Zefiro 9 took place at Salto di Quirra
. After 35 seconds, there was a sudden drop in the motor's internal pressure, leading to an increased combustion time. No public information is available for this sudden drop of internal pressure, and what if any flaws were present in the motor's design.
On 23 October 2008 an enhanced version of the Zefiro 9 with a modified nozzle design, the Zefiro 9-A, was successfully tested.
On 28 April 2009, the final qualification test firing of Zefiro 9-A took place at the Salto di Quirra Interforce Test Range in Sardinia, Italy.
and its carbon phenolic nozzle includes a carbon-carbon
throat insert. The propellant loading is 23 tons.
The Zefiro 23 second stage engine was first fired on 26 June 2006 at Salto di Quirra
. This test was successful, too.
The second test firing of the Zefiro 23 second stage engine took place on 27 March 2008 also at Salto di Quirra
. This test was concluded successfully again which qualified the rocket engine.
The first test firing of the P80 engine took place on 30 November 2006 in Kourou
, and the test was concluded successfully.
The second test firing of the P80 first stage engine took place on 4 December 2007 in Kourou
. Delivering a mean thrust of 190 tonnes over 111 seconds, the engine's behaviour was in line with predictions.
as propellants. A cold nitrogen gas system provides attitude control. The AVUM avionics module contains the main components of the avionics sub-system of the vehicle.
After this qualification flight, ESA plans for a second flight, followed by four more flights in its "VERTA programme."
Enrico Saggese, the new head of the Italian Space Agency
suggested in October 2008 that the first flight of VEGA might be delayed, stating "We have to decide if we want to wait until we have another programme", and referring to plans to have German participation to develop new third and fourth stages.
The Italian Aerospace Research Centre
plans to launch its "FTB-X" test vehicle on a Vega launcher in 2012.
elements. This launcher would use an Ariane 5 P230 first stage, a Vega P80 second stage and an Ariane 5 third stage using either storable or cryogenic fuel. The addition of Soyuz to the Arianespace launch vehicle lineup removed momentum from this initiative.
The future upgraded Vega (LYRA program) has exceeded the feasibility study and is planned to have new third and fourth low cost LOX
/HC
stages and a new guidance system
. The purpose of the program is to upgrade the polar orbit payloads to up to 2,000 kg.
Expendable launch system
An expendable launch system is a launch system that uses an expendable launch vehicle to carry a payload into space. The vehicles used in expendable launch systems are designed to be used only once , and their components are not recovered for re-use after launch...
being developed for Arianespace
Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
jointly by the Italian Space Agency
Italian Space Agency
The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy...
and the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
. Development began in 1998 and the first launch, which will take place from the Guiana Space Centre, is planned for early 2012. It is named after the star Vega
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus...
.
It is designed to launch small payloads: 300 to 2,000 kg satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s for scientific and Earth observation
Earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc....
missions to polar
Polar orbit
A polar orbit is an orbit in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body being orbited on each revolution. It therefore has an inclination of 90 degrees to the equator...
and low Earth
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
orbits. The reference Vega mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 1,500 kilograms to an altitude of 700 kilometers.
Vega is a single-body launcher (no strap-on boosters) with three solid rocket
Solid rocket
A solid rocket or a solid-fuel rocket is a rocket engine that uses solid propellants . The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese in warfare as early as the 13th century and later by the Mongols, Arabs, and Indians.All rockets used some form of...
stages, the P80 first stage, the Zefiro 23 second stage, the Zefiro 9 third stage, and a liquid rocket
Liquid rocket
A liquid-propellant rocket or a liquid rocket is a rocket engine that uses propellants in liquid form. Liquids are desirable because their reasonably high density allows the volume of the propellant tanks to be relatively low, and it is possible to use lightweight pumps to pump the propellant from...
upper module called AVUM. The technology developed for the P80 program will also be used for future Ariane
Ariane (rocket)
Ariane is a series of a European civilian expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. The name comes from the French spelling of the mythological character Ariadne....
developments. Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
is the leading contributor to the Vega program with 65%; other participants include France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(15%), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(6%), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(5.63%), The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(3.5%), Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(1.34%) and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(0.8%).
Payload capacity
ArianespaceArianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
indicates a Vega launcher will be able to carry 1500 kilograms (3,306.9 lb) to a circular polar orbit
Polar orbit
A polar orbit is an orbit in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body being orbited on each revolution. It therefore has an inclination of 90 degrees to the equator...
at an altitude of 700 kilometres (435 mi). Arianespace is marketing Vega as a launch system tailored for missions to low Earth
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
and sun-synchronous
Sun-synchronous orbit
A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...
orbits. However, in its qualification flight VEGA should insert its main payload of 400 kg, the LARES (satellite)
LARES (satellite)
LARES is an Italian Space Agency scientific satellite to be launched with the new European launch vehicle Vega.LARES will be launched by Vega's maiden flight, scheduled for 2011.- The mission :...
, into a 1450 km orbit with an inclination of 71.5 deg.
Solid motor stages
The first three stages are solid propellant engines produced by Avio, that is Prime Contractor for the Vega launcher through its company ELV.Each of the three engine types intended for the three stages of the Vega had to be commissioned with two test-firings: one for design evaluation, one in final flight configuration.
Zefiro 9
The first engine completed was Zefiro 9, the third stage engine. The first test firing was carried out on 20 December 2005, at the Salto di QuirraSalto di Quirra
Salto di Quirra is a rocket launching site near Perdasdefogu on Sardinia ....
Inter-force Test Range, on the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast in southeast Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. The test was a complete success.
After a critical design review based on the completed first test firings, on 28 March 2007, the second test-firing of the Zefiro 9 took place at Salto di Quirra
Salto di Quirra
Salto di Quirra is a rocket launching site near Perdasdefogu on Sardinia ....
. After 35 seconds, there was a sudden drop in the motor's internal pressure, leading to an increased combustion time. No public information is available for this sudden drop of internal pressure, and what if any flaws were present in the motor's design.
On 23 October 2008 an enhanced version of the Zefiro 9 with a modified nozzle design, the Zefiro 9-A, was successfully tested.
On 28 April 2009, the final qualification test firing of Zefiro 9-A took place at the Salto di Quirra Interforce Test Range in Sardinia, Italy.
Zefiro 23
The development of the Zefiro motor was initiated by Avio, partially funded by the company and partially funded by a contract from the Italian Space Agency. A Zefiro 23 forms the second stage of Vega. Its carbon-epoxy case is filament-woundFilament winding
Filament winding is a fabrication technique for manufacturing composite material, usually in the form of cylindrical structures. The process involves winding filaments under varying amounts of tension over a male mould or mandrel. The mandrel rotates while a carriage moves horizontally, laying...
and its carbon phenolic nozzle includes a carbon-carbon
Reinforced carbon-carbon
Carbon fibre-reinforced carbon is a composite material consisting of carbon fibre reinforcement in a matrix of graphite. It was developed for the nose cones of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle...
throat insert. The propellant loading is 23 tons.
The Zefiro 23 second stage engine was first fired on 26 June 2006 at Salto di Quirra
Salto di Quirra
Salto di Quirra is a rocket launching site near Perdasdefogu on Sardinia ....
. This test was successful, too.
The second test firing of the Zefiro 23 second stage engine took place on 27 March 2008 also at Salto di Quirra
Salto di Quirra
Salto di Quirra is a rocket launching site near Perdasdefogu on Sardinia ....
. This test was concluded successfully again which qualified the rocket engine.
P80
The P80 first stage also uses a filament-wound case. Its nozzle uses a flexible joint that is electrically actuated.The first test firing of the P80 engine took place on 30 November 2006 in Kourou
Kourou
Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.Kourou is the location of the Guiana Space Centre, France and ESA's main spaceport.-Geography:...
, and the test was concluded successfully.
The second test firing of the P80 first stage engine took place on 4 December 2007 in Kourou
Kourou
Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.Kourou is the location of the Guiana Space Centre, France and ESA's main spaceport.-Geography:...
. Delivering a mean thrust of 190 tonnes over 111 seconds, the engine's behaviour was in line with predictions.
AVUM
The AVUM (Attitude Vernier Upper Module) upper module consists of a propulsion module and an avionics module. The planned propulsion module uses a liquid-fuel rocket burning pressure-fed UDMH and nitrogen tetroxideDinitrogen tetroxide
Dinitrogen tetroxide is the chemical compound N2O4. It is a useful reagent in chemical synthesis. It forms an equilibrium mixture with nitrogen dioxide; some call this mixture dinitrogen tetroxide, while some call it nitrogen dioxide.Dinitrogen tetroxide is a powerful oxidizer, making it highly...
as propellants. A cold nitrogen gas system provides attitude control. The AVUM avionics module contains the main components of the avionics sub-system of the vehicle.
Planned flights
In 2009 the first launch of the system was anticipated to take place in November 2010, although later press has suggested that the launch will slip till early 2012. The most recent launch date is "early 2012".After this qualification flight, ESA plans for a second flight, followed by four more flights in its "VERTA programme."
Enrico Saggese, the new head of the Italian Space Agency
Italian Space Agency
The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy...
suggested in October 2008 that the first flight of VEGA might be delayed, stating "We have to decide if we want to wait until we have another programme", and referring to plans to have German participation to develop new third and fourth stages.
The Italian Aerospace Research Centre
Italian Aerospace Research Centre
The Italian Aerospace Research Centre is a consortium established in July 1984 to promote the growth and success of the aerospace industry in Italy...
plans to launch its "FTB-X" test vehicle on a Vega launcher in 2012.
Competitors
In the global launch marketplace, the Vega rocket's small payload launch capacity faces competition from:- Taurus from OrbitalOrbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems...
with 1,320 kg (2,910 lb) to LEO - Falcon 1eFalcon 1eThe Falcon 1e is an American small partially reusable launch system which is being developed by SpaceX. It will replace the Falcon 1, which was retired in 2009 following five launches, two of which were successful. The Falcon 1e consists of a new first stage, the same second stage used on the...
from SpaceXSpaceXSpace Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
with 1,010 kilograms to LEO - Long March 2Long March 2 rocket familyLong March 2 rocket family or Chang Zheng 2 rocket family as in Chinese pinyin is an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China.-History:...
from the People's Republic of China with 1,800-8400 kg to LEO - Strela from Russia with 1,700 kg to LEO
- Rokot from Russia with 1,950 kg to LEO or 1,200 kg to SSO
Future developments
There was a concept study for a new medium-size launcher based on Vega and Ariane 5Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...
elements. This launcher would use an Ariane 5 P230 first stage, a Vega P80 second stage and an Ariane 5 third stage using either storable or cryogenic fuel. The addition of Soyuz to the Arianespace launch vehicle lineup removed momentum from this initiative.
The future upgraded Vega (LYRA program) has exceeded the feasibility study and is planned to have new third and fourth low cost LOX
Liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:...
/HC
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
stages and a new guidance system
Guidance system
A guidance system is a device or group of devices used to navigate a ship, aircraft, missile, rocket, satellite, or other craft. Typically, this refers to a system that navigates without direct or continuous human control...
. The purpose of the program is to upgrade the polar orbit payloads to up to 2,000 kg.
Stages
| First Stage | Second Stage | Third Stage | Fourth Stage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Propulsion | P80 | Zefiro 23 | Zefiro 9 | AVUM |
| Height | 10.5 m | 7.5 m | 3.85 m | 1.74 m |
| Diameter | 3 m | 1.9 m | 1.9 m | 1.9 m |
| Propellant mass | 88 t | 23.9 t | 10.1 t | 0.55 t |
| Thrust (max) | 3,040 kN | 1,200 kN | 213 kN | 2.45 kN |
| Nozzle expansion ratio | 16 | 25 | 56 | - |
| Burn time | 107 s | 71.6 s | 117 s | 315.2 s |