[Updates] Vega updates

[Urwumpe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBaker

 Hop on the train when everything is done already by someone else?
And the upper stage seems to be fine, why build a new one that has never flown? Vega seems to work fine, so don't bring in new risk factors.

It is no new plan to give Vega a German or French upper stage because of their expertise with liquid propellant engines. It simply never happened because of the way how ESA is permitted to spend the money.

In simple words: ESA has to spend their money like the member nations pay. That means that the small nations also need to get a chance to lead a bigger project, and not just have Germany, France and UK lead everything. A Ukrainian upper stage was the prize for not one country swapping places with Germany on a project that the other country can not do as well (yet).

Now that the first phase of Vega is done, Germany can really jump on the train for the follow up work, but that is politics again.

[orb]

Parabolic Arc: Officials Eye New Upper Stage for Vega Rocket

[N_Molson]

Ukraine has the experience of building the proven RD-series ex-Soviet rocket engines, and can do it for cheap, I guess it was also a consideration.

My question would be : by how much a high-tech LOX/LH2 upper stage (like the Ariane's one) would boost the payload capacity of Vega ? And it is economically viable (what makes a light launcher attractive are low manufacturing & operation costs) ?

[MaverickSawyer]

What thrust range are we talking about for this upper stage? If it's in the 30,000 lbf range, Just wait for the Aerojet NGE to arrive.

[MattBaker]

It's the AVUM of Vega, so basically nothing for orbit insertion, more for fine-adjusting of your orbit.
So we're talking about 2,45 kN or 550 lbf.

[MaverickSawyer]

Ok, that's not a very common cryogenic engine size. Going to have to be custom made for the AVUM stage.

[orb]

ESA: Building Vega meant testing materials to their limits

[orb]

Space News: 2014 Vega Launch Booked for Kazakh Satellite:

Quote:

PARIS — Kazakhstan’s DZZ-HR optical Earth observation satellite will be launched aboard Europe’s new Vega small-satellite vehicle in mid-2014 under a contract announced June 20 by the Arianespace launch consortium of Evry, France.

The 900-kilogram DZZ-HR is under construction by Astrium of France as part of a broad space-cooperation agreement signed by the French and Kazakh heads of state in 2010. It will be able to detect objects as small as 1 meter in diameter from a sun-synchronous orbit 750 kilometers in altitude.

{...}

[orb]

ESA: First stage of Vega VV02 arrives at Europe's Spaceport

[Notebook]

This is the youngest generic Vega thread, so some general news about the rocket.

http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Vid...h_tower_moving

N.

[Notebook]

Quote:

14 November 2018
The first element of Europe’s future evolution of the Vega launch vehicle for use beyond 2025 was successfully tested this week at Avio in Colleferro, Italy.
This hot firing proves a 3D-printed subscale thrust chamber that is fed by liquid oxygen–methane propellants. 3D-printing builds a solid object from a series of layers, each one printed on top of the last – also known as additive layer manufacturing. It speeds up the production rate, reduces the number of parts and hence the recurring costs.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Sp...Vega_Evolution

[Notebook]

Quote:

29 January 2019
The first qualification model of the P120C solid-fuel motor, configured for Vega-C, was static fired yesterday on the test stand at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Fully loaded with 142 tonnes of fuel, the 13.5 m long and 3.4 m diameter motor was ignited for a final simulation of liftoff and the first phase of flight.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Sp...milestone_test

[Notebook]

Quote:

22 March 2019
Arianespace has launched a Vega rocket to deliver the Italian Space Agency's PRISMA Earth observation satellite into orbit.
Liftoff of Vega’s 14th mission from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana came at 01:50 GMT on 22 March (02:50 CET; 22:50 local time on 21 March).
With a mass at liftoff of 879 kg, PRISMA was manoeuvred into its target Sun-synchronous orbit about 54 minutes into the mission after two burns of Vega’s upper stage.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Sp...ISMA_for_Italy

[Notebook]

Quote:

4 June 2019
More than 40 satellite missions will be launched at once by Europe’s Vega launcher this autumn, thanks to the innovative modular “Lego-style” dispenser resting on its upper stage.
Up until now the smallest classes of satellites – all the way down to tiny CubeSats, built from 10 cm modular boxes – have typically ‘piggybacked’ to orbit. They have to make use of any spare capacity as a single large satellite is launched, meaning their overall launch opportunities are limited.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Sp...share_to_space