Posted: Sat, Jul 16, 2022, 11:27 AM ET (1527 GMT)
ESA and Arianespace declared the inaugural launch of the Vega-C rocket a success Wednesday. The rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 9:13 am EDT (1313 GMT) and deployed its primary payload, the LARES-2 physics satellite, 85 minutes later. Six cubesat payloads were released 45 minutes later. Arianespace said that, with the success of the inaugural launch, it was ready to move into commercial operations of the Vega-C. The first commercial launch of Vega-C is scheduled for November, when the rocket is slated to place the Pleiades Neo 5 and 6 Earth-imaging satellites for their builder and operator Airbus.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  BBC article
•  AP article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  ESA press release