Vega rocket |
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| Function | Small orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | ESA/ASI/Avio |
| Country of origin | Europe |
| Size | |
| Height | 30 m |
| Diameter | 3 m |
| Mass | 137,000 kg |
| Stages | 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 1,500 kg |
| Launch history | |
| Status | In Development |
| Launch sites | ZLV (ELA-1), Centre Spatial Guyanais |
| Maiden flight | Planned for January 2012[1] |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 1 P80 |
| Thrust | 3040 kN |
| Burn time | 107 seconds |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Second stage | |
| Engines | 1 Zefiro 23 |
| Thrust | 1200 kN |
| Burn time | 71.6 seconds |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Third stage | |
| Engines | 1 Zefiro 9 |
| Thrust | 213 kN |
| Burn time | 117 seconds |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Fourth stage | |
| Engines | 1 AVUM |
| Thrust | 2.45 kN |
| Burn time | 315.2 seconds |
| Fuel | UDMH/N2O4 |
Vega (Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata,[2] European Advanced Generation Carrier Rocket) is an expendable launch system being developed for Arianespace jointly by the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. Development began in 1998 and the first launch, which will take place from the Guiana Space Centre, is planned for early 2012. It is named after the star Vega.
It is designed to launch small payloads: 300 to 2,000 kg satellites for scientific and Earth observation missions to polar and low Earth orbits. The reference Vega mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 1,500 kilograms to an altitude of 700 kilometers.
Vega is a single-body launcher (no strap-on boosters) with three solid rocket stages, the P80 first stage, the Zefiro 23 second stage, the Zefiro 9 third stage, and a liquid rocket upper module called AVUM. The technology developed for the P80 program will also be used for future Ariane developments. Italy is the leading contributor to the Vega program with 65%; other participants include France (15%), Spain (6%), Belgium (5.63%), The Netherlands (3.5%), Switzerland (1.34%) and Sweden (0.8%).[3]
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Arianespace indicates a Vega launcher will be able to carry 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) to a circular polar orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometres (430 mi).[4]
Arianespace is marketing Vega as a launch system tailored for missions to low Earth and sun-synchronous orbits.[5] However, in its qualification flight VEGA should insert its main payload of 400 kg, the LARES (satellite), into a 1450 km orbit with an inclination of 71.5 deg.
To compare with other existing, or retired, rockets :
| Vega's specifications | Ariane 1 (to recall) |
Eurockot[6] | Dnepr | Taurus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift off mass | 136 t | 210 t | 107 t | 211 t | 73 t |
| Height | 30 m | 47.40 m | 29.15 m | 34.3 m | 27.9 m |
| Diameter | 3 m | 3.80 m | 2.50 m | 3 m | 2.35 m |
| Heliosynchron orbit payload | 300 - 2,500 kg |
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| LEO payload | 1.5 - 2 t | 1.95 t (LEO, 200 km, 63°) |
4.5 t (LEO, 200 km, 66°) |
1.35 t | |
| Polair orbit payload | 1,500 kg | 1,200 kg 600 km, 98° |
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| Success rate | 9 on 11 | 16 on 18 | 16 on 17 | 6 on 9 | |
| First Stage | Second Stage | Third Stage | Fourth Stage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Propulsion | P80 | Zefiro 23 | Zefiro 9 | AVUM |
| Height | 10.5 m | 7.5 m | 3.85 m | 1.74 m |
| Diameter | 3 m | 1.9 m | 1.9 m | 1.9 m |
| Propellant mass | 88 t | 23.9 t | 10.1 t | 0.55 t |
| Thrust (max) | 3,040 kN | 1,200 kN | 213 kN | 2.45 kN |
| Nozzle expansion ratio | 16 | 25 | 56 | - |
| Burn time | 107 s | 71.6 s | 117 s | 315.2 s |
The first three stages are solid propellant engines produced by Avio, that is Prime Contractor for the Vega launcher through its company ELV.[7]
Each of the three engine types intended for the three stages of the Vega had to be commissioned with two test-firings: one for design evaluation, one in final flight configuration.
The first engine completed was Zefiro 9, the third stage engine. The first test firing was carried out on 20 December 2005, at the Salto di Quirra Inter-force Test Range, on the Mediterranean coast in southeast Sardinia. The test was a complete success.[8]
After a critical design review based on the completed first test firings,[9] on 28 March 2007, the second test-firing of the Zefiro 9 took place at Salto di Quirra. After 35 seconds, there was a sudden drop in the motor's internal pressure, leading to an increased combustion time.[10] No public information is available for this sudden drop of internal pressure, and what if any flaws were present in the motor's design.
On 23 October 2008 an enhanced version of the Zefiro 9 with a modified nozzle design, the Zefiro 9-A, was successfully tested.[11]
On 28 April 2009, the final qualification test firing of Zefiro 9-A took place at the Salto di Quirra Interforce Test Range in Sardinia, Italy.[12]
The development of the Zefiro motor was initiated by Avio, partially funded by the company and partially funded by a contract from the Italian Space Agency. A Zefiro 23 forms the second stage of Vega. Its carbon-epoxy case is filament-wound and its carbon phenolic nozzle includes a carbon-carbon throat insert. The propellant loading is 23 tons.[13]
The Zefiro 23 second stage engine was first fired on 26 June 2006 at Salto di Quirra. This test was successful, too.[14]
The second test firing of the Zefiro 23 second stage engine took place on 27 March 2008 also at Salto di Quirra. This test was concluded successfully again which qualified the rocket engine.[15]
The P80 first stage also uses a filament-wound case. Its nozzle uses a flexible joint that is electrically actuated.[13]
The first test firing of the P80 engine took place on 30 November 2006 in Kourou, and the test was concluded successfully.[16]
The second test firing of the P80 first stage engine took place on 4 December 2007 in Kourou. Delivering a mean thrust of 190 tonnes over 111 seconds, the engine's behaviour was in line with predictions.[17]
The AVUM (Attitude Vernier Upper Module) upper module consists of a propulsion module and an avionics module. The planned propulsion module uses a liquid-fuel rocket burning pressure-fed UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide as propellants. A cold nitrogen gas system provides attitude control.[18] The AVUM avionics module contains the main components of the avionics sub-system of the vehicle.
In 2009 the first launch of the system was anticipated to take place in November 2010,[19][20] although later press has suggested that the launch will slip till early 2012. The most recent launch date is "end of January 2012" [21].
After this qualification flight, ESA plans for a second flight, followed by four more flights in its "VERTA programme."[22]
Enrico Saggese, the new head of the Italian Space Agency suggested in October 2008 that the first flight of VEGA might be delayed, stating "We have to decide if we want to wait until we have another programme", and referring to plans to have German participation to develop new third and fourth stages.[23]
The Italian Aerospace Research Centre plans to launch its "FTB-X" test vehicle on a Vega launcher in 2012.[24]
In the global launch marketplace, the Vega rocket's small payload launch capacity faces competition from:
There was a concept study for a new medium-size launcher based on Vega and Ariane 5 elements. This launcher would use an Ariane 5 P230 first stage, a Vega P80 second stage and an Ariane 5 third stage using either storable or cryogenic fuel.[13] The addition of Soyuz to the Arianespace launch vehicle lineup removed momentum from this initiative.
The future upgraded Vega (LYRA program) has exceeded the feasibility study and is planned to have new third and fourth low cost LOX/HC stages and a new guidance system. The purpose of the program is to upgrade the polar orbit payloads to up to 2,000 kg.
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