In brief
Vega-C is scheduled to launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 23:03 local time on 25 July (03:03 BST/04:03 CEST on 26 July). Flight VV27 will be operated by Arianespace and launch Airbus’s four CO3D satellites and the French space agency CNES MicroCarb mission.
In-depth
The four small satellites in the CO3D constellation (an abbreviation of the French ‘Constellation Optique en 3D’) are set to map the globe in three dimensions from low Earth orbit, to serve public and private sector needs.
MicroCarb is designed to map sources and sinks of carbon dioxide on a global scale. ESA coordinated and procured the launch of MicroCarb on behalf of the European Commission, as part of its In-Orbit Demonstration / In-Orbit Validation (IOD/IOV) programme.
Follow the launch live
Tune in on 26 July from 03:40 CEST to watch the Vega-C rocket take flight once again. The livestream is available in English, French and Italian.
| Time in CEST | Time after liftoff(hours:minutes:seconds) | Event |
| 03:40 | Programme begins | |
| 04:03 | 00:00:00 | Liftoff |
| 04:06 | 00:02:23 | Vega-C first stage, P120C, separation |
| 04:08 | 00:04:27 | Vega-C second stage, Zefiro-40, separation |
| 04:08 | 00:04:39 | Fairing jettison |
| 04:11 | 00:07:15 | Vega-C third stage, Zefiro-9, separation |
| 04:12 | 00:08:19 | First ignition of Vega-C upper stage, AVUM+ |
| 04:21-04:52 | 00:17:53-00:49:00 | Programme break |
| 04:55 | 00:51:33 | Second ignition of AVUM+ upper stage |
| 05:01 | 00:57:17 | CO3D satellites deployed in two pairs |
| 05:04 | 01:00:15 | Third ignition of AVUM+ upper stage |
| 05:06-05:38 | 01:03:03-01:34:43 | Programme break |
| 05:40 | 01:36:43 | Fourth ignition of AVUM+ upper stage |
| 05:45 | 01:41:12 | MicroCarb deployed |
About Vega-C
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of satellites into their desired orbit around Earth. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.
Complementing the Ariane family to launch all types of payloads into their desired orbits, Vega-C ensures that Europe has versatile and independent access to space. ESA leads the Vega-C programme, working with Avio as prime contractor and design authority. Arianespace is the launch service provider for this launch.
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