See also: Véga (homonymy)

ESA announced the creation of new a launcher, Vega , complementary to the launchers Soyuz and ARIANE exploited by Arianespace.

Seven European countries (Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Swiss and Sweden) engaged in the program aiming at developing a small launcher with low costs. This is why, it uses already existing technologies and even installations which had been used for ARIANE 1.

The industrial project superintendent indicated by ESA is ELV (Italy, held group with 70% by Avio and 30% by the Italian Space agency).

The total costs of the program are assembled to 560 million euros, plus 246 million euros to improve the system and to support its marketing, for the first five launchings. The financing is distributed to 65% between Italy, 15% France, 6% Spain and 5,6% Belgium.

Characteristics

The characteristics can appear weak compared with those of the launcher ARIANE 5 but its low costs of launching (21 million euros) will make of it an economic alternative for light satellites.

The first launching is envisaged at mid the 2008; then at least two launchings are waited each year.

Stages

Vega is made up of three stages with solid Propergol, surmounted by a module higher than liquid.

First stage

This stage uses a P80 engine conceived on the principle of the engines with solid Propulsion of ARIANE 5, but with a loading of only 88 tons of Propergol. This stage will be produced with Kourou, in Guyana. Its development is financed by the CNES. Its first test was made a success of on November 30th, 2006 in Kourou.

Second stage

The second stage uses 16 T of solid Propergol and the Zefiro engine, currently under development.

Third stage

The third stage (7 T of solid Propellent) is also under development.

Upper floor

The Vega launcher will be surmounted by an upper floor with Bi-liquid (called AVUM - Attitude and Vernier Upper Module). This stage allows the and altitude control Orbite, the separation of the satellites and the desorbitation.

Put with equipment

It is the equivalent of the equipment box at the launcher ARIANE 5, equipped with engines.

Higher composite

Like any launcher, the Vega launcher has a higher composite, protected by a cap, containing the payload, i.e. the Artificial satellite .

The payload will have a mass ranging between 1,5 and 2 tons.

No the shooting

Vega will be exploited by Arianespace since the space port of Kourou in Guyana. It will use the whole of launching ELA-1 formerly reserved for the historical takes-off of ARIANE 1. The control room already exists and the old launching pad of ARIANE 1 is being renovated in the sight of its new operational career.

Work on the foundations of the ELA1 will start with the restoration partial or the security of certain elements or buildings, in order to allow the temporary installation of the teams. The construction of the solid mass of launching and the mobile tower will take place only in mid 2005.

Control center

It will be located at the Launching center n°3 with an independent control console, and will comprise interfaces with the Ensemble components of ARIANE Launching.

First tests

The first flight of this small launcher is envisaged at the beginning of 2008. The building work of the installations of Vega thus started in the month of November 2004.

The flights of qualification will be followed launchings to the rate of 2 or 4 missions per annum, during 10 years.

The P80 engine, which will ensure the propulsion of the first stage of the Vega launcher, was tested successfully to it at the end of 2006. " the largest cast solid engine with solid propellent with structure wound ever realized in Europe passed successfully the course of its first test to static fire ".