Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Europe's Vega rocket is scheduled to launch its final mission on Wednesday night, Sept. 4. This mission marks the end of Vega's service as Arianespace transitions to the more powerful Vega C rocket.
Credit: ESA
The launch was initially planned for Sept. 3 but was delayed due to electrical issues with ground links. The new launch window is set for 9:50 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4 (0150 GMT on Sept. 5).
Credit: ESA
The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide a live webcast of the launch, starting at 9:30 p.m. EDT (0130 GMT). The feed will also be available on Space.com if ESA streams it as expected.
The final mission will carry the Sentinel-2C Earth-observing satellite into orbit. This satellite is part of the European Copernicus program and will replace the Sentinel-2A satellite, which launched in 2015.
The Vega rocket, which stands 100 feet tall, can deliver payloads of up to 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilograms) to a circular orbit 435 miles (700 kilometres) above Earth. It has flown 21 missions since its debut in February 2012, with 19 successful launches.
Arianespace is moving its small-satellite operations to the Vega C rocket, which has already launched twice. While the first Vega C mission in July 2022 was successful, the second mission in December 2022 failed due to a flaw in the rocket's second-stage nozzle.
Credit: Arianespace
The upcoming launch will mark the end of an era for Vega. The Vega C rocket is expected to return to flight later this year, continuing the legacy of small-satellite launches for Europe.