ESA: European replacement for Musk’s rocket – “triumphant return to old performance”

Almost two years after a false start, a Vega-C launch vehicle lifted off from the European spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana towards space at night without any problems. The head of the European space agency Esa, Josef Aschbacher, spoke of a “triumphant return to old performance”. With the help of the rocket, Europe can now independently launch lighter satellites and experiments into space. In December 2022, the first commercial flight of the rocket type failed.

The Vega-C light rocket took off from the European spaceport on Thursday evening around 10:20 p.m. German time. After about an hour and 50 minutes, the final step of the launch was completed. Rocket operator Arianespace praised a “perfectly executed European mission” on X. Giulio Ranzo, boss of main contractor Avio, said: “Tonight we restored the performance of the Vega C.”

The Vega C is a further development of the Vega rocket, which launched light satellites into space from 2012 until this fall. According to ESA, the new rocket can transport around 800 kilograms more load, i.e. bring a total of more than two tons of payload into space. It is also cheaper and can put satellites into orbits at different altitudes.

Europe’s space travel is intended to make it more competitive. According to Esa boss Aschbacher, the Vega C covers exactly the area that Esa needs for many missions. “This is really a need that we have not been able to meet so far.” After the start, it is important to increase capacity and be able to operate four to six flights per year.

The Vega C was actually launched more than two years ago. But while the first flight was successful in July 2022, the first commercial flight failed in December of the same year. The rocket deviated from its course a few minutes after launch due to a technical problem with an engine. The flying object was destroyed and fell into the sea. All other planned launches to date have been canceled.

Esa had originally planned to have the rocket flown into space again in 2023. Ultimately, Esa and its partners, especially the Italian main contractor Avio, analyzed and tested for almost two years until the model was returned to the launch pad. Avio acknowledged that a problematic Ukrainian-made nozzle had not been tested often before the false start. The new nozzle comes from France.

The approximately two-year failure of the Vega C was particularly unfortunate for Esa. Because of delays, Ariane 6, which is supposed to launch larger satellites into space, was only available for the first time this July. The European launch vehicle sector was therefore in crisis. For some satellite launches, Esa switched to Falcon 9 rockets from Elon Musk’s US company SpaceX. For Aschbacher, this crisis is now “absolutely overcome”.