Arianespace has signed a landmark agreement with Spaceflight
Industries for the launch of several small payloads. This
will be the inaugural mission for Spaceflight customer
spacecraft on an Arianespace vehicle.
The initial batch of spacecraft is slated for launch aboard
Vega in early 2019 from Europe’s Spaceport at the Guiana
Space Center. The contract with the Seattle-based
Spaceflight Industries covers a microsatellite and a
significant number of cubesats to be launched on the Small
Spacecraft Mission System (SSMS) POC flight as well as on a
subsequent Vega SSMS flight about one year later.
The Vega POC flight will also be the first mission of the
SSMS, a modular carbon fiber dispenser, a program initiated
by ESA in 2016, with the contribution of the European
Commission. For all the European partners involved, its
purpose is to address the burgeoning institutional and
commercial small spacecraft market with a new rideshare
concept.
Vega is part of the Arianespace launcher family, alongside
the heavy Ariane 5 and the medium Soyuz, operated from the
Guiana Space Center. Avio based in Colleferro Italy, is the
industrial prime contractor for Vega, and the design lead
for the SMSS.
“Striking this deal with Vega will serve a growing part of
our market demand – namely organizations that need a
diversified launch plan for small satellite constellations,”
said Curt Blake, President of Spaceflight. “We are thrilled
to add Arianespace to our network of launch partners.”
Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace, said: “We are honored
to have been selected for the first time by Spaceflight for
the launch of small satellites on the POC flight of the
Vega’s Small Spacecraft Mission Service dispenser. It is
exciting to be able to partner with Spaceflight, a company
that has helped to revolutionize our industry! This
multi-launch mission demonstrates Arianespace’s dedication
to providing access to space for the quickly evolving small
satellite market. With a flawless record, Vega is perfectly
suited for the job.”
