spacetoday.net: Vega C to launch five Copernicus missions

Vega C to launch five Copernicus missions

Posted: Sat, Dec 3, 2022, 10:22 AM ET (1522 GMT)
Vega-C first launch (ESA)

The European Commission awarded a contract to Arianespace for five Vega C launches of Copernicus satellites. The contract, announced Tuesday, covers five Earth observation spacecraft slated for launch between 2024 and 2026. Arianespace earlier won a contract for another Sentinel satellite, also launching on Vega C. That rocket was scheduled to make its first commercial launch last week but suffered a technical problem that will delay that mission to Dec. 20. Arianespace said the problem was with pyrotechnics in the payload fairing separation system that could not be fixed on the launch pad.