Arianespace successfully launched Europe’s Vega-C rocket on Thursday, marking the spacecraft’s return to space following a two-year hiatus.
The upgraded Italian launcher, which had previously failed during its debut commercial mission, carried the Sentinel-1C satellite into orbit as part of the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation program.
The rocket launched from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana at 6:20 p.m. (2120 GMT), with live images showing it ascending into overcast skies. “Parameters on board are normal,” confirmed Jean-Frederic Alasa, range operations manager, from the Guiana Space Centre control room. The satellite was then placed into “barbecue mode,” a maneuver to rotate it and regulate temperature during its journey to a 700-km (435-mile) orbit.
The successful launch of the small-to-medium-sized, uncrewed rocket represents a significant milestone for Europe as it seeks to maintain its space access capabilities. This event follows the Ariane 6 heavy launcher’s first test flight in July, although its commercial debut has been delayed until 2025. “An important day for Italy and for Europe. Vega C is back!” stated Teodoro Valente, president of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the principal contributor to the Vega program.
Europe has faced challenges in the space industry, particularly with intense competition from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. In December 2022, Vega rockets were grounded after a failed mission, which saw the latest model lose control two-and-a-half minutes into its second flight due to a motor anomaly, resulting in the destruction of two Earth-imaging satellites.
