Second Vega
launch by Arianespace a
success
Proba-V, VNREDSat-1 and
ESTCube-1 in orbit
On
Monday, May 6, 2013 at
11:06 pm local time in
French Guiana,
Arianespace successfully
launched the second Vega
rocket from the Guiana
space Center (CSG),
orbiting the Proba-V,
VNREDSat-1 and ESTCube-1
satellites.
Second successful Vega
launch from CSG
With Ariane 5, Soyuz and
now Vega all operating
from the Guiana Space
Center, Arianespace is
the only launch services
operator in the world
capable of launching all
types of payloads into
all types of orbits,
from the largest to the
smallest geostationary
satellites, clusters of
satellites for
constellations and
missions to the
International Space
Station (ISS).
Vega is designed to
launch payloads in the
1,500 kg class into
orbit at an altitude of
700 km, which means that
Europe now has a new
launcher capable of
handling all scientific
and government missions,
along with commercial
launches.
Arianespace has now
performed two launches
from the Guiana Space
Center in 2013, one with
the Ariane 5 rocket and
one with Vega. Starsem,
the company's
Euro-Russian joint
venture, has also
carried out a Soyuz
launch in Baikonur,
Kazakhstan. From now
until the end of the
year, Arianespace plans
eight more launches from
the Guiana Space Center.
