Inaugural Vega launch a success
Posted: Mon, Feb 13, 2012, 9:50 PM ET (0250 GMT)
The first launch of Europe's new small launch vehicle was a success Monday, placing nine small satellites into orbit. The Vega rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:00 am EST (1000 GMT) at the beginning of a three-hour launch window. The four-stage rocket released its payloads into low Earth orbit 55 to 70 minutes later. The largest satellite on this mission was LARES, an Italian satellite designed to measure the warping of spacetime caused by the Earth's rotation. The rocket carried other smaller satellites, mostly cubesats. The launch was the first for the Vega, developed by the European Space Agency to launch smaller satellites more efficiently than the larger Soyuz and Ariane rockets that also launch from Kourou.
The first launch of Europe's new small launch vehicle was a success Monday, placing nine small satellites into orbit. The Vega rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:00 am EST (1000 GMT) at the beginning of a three-hour launch window. The four-stage rocket released its payloads into low Earth orbit 55 to 70 minutes later. The largest satellite on this mission was LARES, an Italian satellite designed to measure the warping of spacetime caused by the Earth's rotation. The rocket carried other smaller satellites, mostly cubesats. The launch was the first for the Vega, developed by the European Space Agency to launch smaller satellites more efficiently than the larger Soyuz and Ariane rockets that also launch from Kourou.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, January 4
INNOSPACE Terminates HANBIT-Nano Mission Early Following Successful Liftoff
INNOspace — 1:06 pm ET (1806 GMT) Sidus Space Announces Closing of Public Offering
Sidus Space — 1:04 pm ET (1804 GMT) GomSpace Secures 50MSEK Contract with Leading European Defense firm
GomSpace — 1:04 pm ET (1804 GMT) Voyager and UConn to Accelerate Innovation to Space
Voyager Space — 1:03 pm ET (1803 GMT) Terran Orbital Selected by Lockheed Martin to Provide Satellite Buses for SDA’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer
Terran Orbital — 1:02 pm ET (1802 GMT) |
