Author Topic: Vega Flight VV01 - Lares & AlmaSat-1 & 7 cubesats - February 13, 2012  (Read 108464 times)

Offline bolun

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Vega rocket ready for first flight
 
19 January 2012

Final checkout of Europe’s new Vega launcher was completed last Friday, marking another milestone towards its maiden flight from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
 
The first Vega launch campaign began in November with the installation of the P80 first stage on the launch pad. The two solid-propellant second and third stages were added to the vehicle, followed by the AVUM – Attitude & Vernier Upper Module – liquid-propellant fourth stage. 

All four stages have undergone final acceptance, including the testing of the avionics, guidance, telemetry, propulsion, separation pyrotechnics and safety systems.

What’s next?
 
The ‘upper composite’ – the fairing and payload – will be integrated, followed by final checkout of the fully assembled launcher and the countdown rehearsal.

The first launch, VV01, is targeted for 9 February. It will carry nine satellites into orbit: the Italian space agency’s LARES and ALMASat-1, together with seven CubeSats from European universities.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM42YMXDXG_index_0.html

Offline bolun

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Offline bolun

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« Last Edit: 01/21/2012 10:30 am by bolun »

Offline bolun

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http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmg.pl?b=b&keyword=vega&start=1

LARES, ALMASat-1 and CubeSats enclosed within fairing

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ESA’s CubeSats near the end of a five year journey
 
26 January 2012

http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Education/SEMV4RH8RXG_0.html

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http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Vega/SEMY64BX9WG_mg_1.html

Upper composite transfer to launch pad

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http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Vega/SEMY64BX9WG_mg_1.html

Vega's upper composite, comprising LARES, ALMASat-1, seven CubeSats and the fairing, was transferred to the pad and added to the vehicle on 24 January 2012 at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

Offline bolun

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Vega's first flight: Assembly is completed for the no. 1 launcher

January 26, 2012 – Vega Flight VV01

The first Vega lightweight launcher has completed its build-up at the Spaceport in French Guiana, and will now undergo final checkout for a liftoff scheduled on February 9.

This maiden flight will be performed under responsibility of the European Space Agency, and is to qualify the overall Vega system – including the launcher, ground infrastructure and operations from the launch campaign to payload delivery in orbit.

As a result, it represents an important step towards the lightweight vehicle’s introduction in Arianespace’s launcher family at the Spaceport, which already consists of the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and the medium-lift Soyuz.

Build-up of the Vega on its launch pad was completed January 24 with the integration of its “upper composite” – consisting of nine satellites and their protective payload fairing atop the vehicle.

During the upcoming mission, Vega's AVUM fourth stage will first reach a circular orbit at an altitude of 1,450 km. and an inclination of 70 deg. to release the Italian LARES laser relativity satellite, which is the flight’s main passenger.   Built for the ASI Italian space agency by CGS S.p.A. Compagnia Generale per lo Spazio, LARES is a small solid tungsten sphere weighing nearly 390 kg. and featuring 92 retroreflectors. Ground stations will send laser pulses to measure the precise time it takes the beams to travel between the ground and the passive satellite as it passes overhead.

LARES builds on the experience of two Italian-American geodetic missions (Lageos-1 and Lageos-2), and is to improve measurements of the Lense-Thirring effect by a factor of 10.  The Lense-Thirring effect is the part of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity that describes the distortion of space-time caused by the rotation of a body with mass.

After LARES is deployed during Vega’s inaugural flight, the launcher’s AVUM fourth stage will then perform a maneuver lowering its perigee to 350 km. before deploying the eight other satellites.  The largest of these is ALMASat-1 (the ALma MAter SATellite), a 12.5-kg. technology demonstrator microsatellite developed and built by the University of Bologne.  Its launch will test the performance of this low-cost, multipurpose 30-cm. platform to prepare for future missions in technology demonstration applications or Earth observation.

Completing the satellite payload are seven CubeSats that have been developed by more than 250 university students from six different countries.  They represent four years of work in the European Space Agency’s CubeSat program, which began in 2007 when the organization decided to include an educational payload on the Vega launch vehicle’s maiden flight. 

The CubeSats are picosatellites of standardized dimensions – cubes of 10 cm. per side, with a maximum mass of 1 kg. – which can be operated from university or radio amateur ground stations. They serve as an educational tool that offers hands-on experience for aerospace engineering students in designing, developing, testing and operating a spacecraft system and its ground segment. 

When Vega enters the Arianespace launcher family, it will provide a capable system for orbiting small- to medium-sized satellites, responding to the growing number of small institutional, scientific spacecraft and other payloads in this category that are under development or planned worldwide.  The benchmark mission is for a 1,500 kg. payload lift performance into a 700 km.-altitude circular orbit. 

Vega has three solid-propellant stages, along with a liquid-propellant upper module for attitude/orbit control and satellite deployment.  It will operate from the Spaceport’s ZLV launch site, which originally was used for the Ariane 1 and Ariane 3 vehicles, and has been refurbished for its new role with Vega.

The upcoming maiden mission is designated VV01 using Arianespace’s numbering system, with the first “V” representing the French word for flight (“vol”), and the second letter referring to Vega.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/881.asp


Online jacqmans

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First Vega rocket assembled on launch pad

27 January 2012

ESA’s new Vega rocket is now fully assembled on its launch pad. Final preparations are in full swing for the rocket’s inaugural flight from Europe’s Spaceport. The launch window opens on 9 February.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMDA5I8RXG_index_0.html
« Last Edit: 01/27/2012 02:19 pm by jacqmans »
Jacques :-)

Offline Lewis007

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More pictures of the Vega roll-out (and launch processing) can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esa_events/sets/72157629052177709/

Offline john smith 19

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Re: Vega Flight VV01 - Lares & 9 cubesats - January 26, 2012
« Reply #31 on: 01/28/2012 12:14 pm »

Uhhh... I don't think so...
Prediction DatePredicted 1st LaunchCitation
Sep-98Dec-02http://esapub.esrin.esa.it/rfs/rfs18/CAPORICCI.pdf
Dec-00Jan-05http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/vega_funding_001219.html
Mar-03 Jun-06http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Vega_Launcher_To_Orbit_Smaller_Payloads_In_Arianespace_Service.html
Nov-05Dec-07http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/VEGA.pdf
Jan-08Dec-08http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Access_to_Space/ASEKMU0TCNC_0.html
Quote
That said this will be the first *major* engine to use electromechanical actuators for TVC.

Define *major*...

Quote
it is a major achievement for Italian industry.

Certamente!  Alongside all (but one) of the US-side ISS modules, the ISS cupola and the Cygnus PCM...

Beyond remembering that Vega has been due for 1st launch "Real soon"  for a long time I was going on memory. "Assuming " it goes this February it will be just below 10 years by your record.

By "major" engine to use electromechanical actuators I meant *direct* control of the movement of the *main* engines (or nozzles in the case of SRB's) of a rocket stage. NASA used DC motors for the Shuttle OMS engines and *talked* about EMA's for the SSME's but never got there.

Various Shuttle studies showed going to electric actuators would make the Shuttle *much* easier to service (1 less toxic high pressure fluid system to fill/bleed/test/use/drain) but the only way to start this ball rolling is actual *flight* data. This would put Europe ahead in this area if for designing the next generation of LV's or aerospace planes.

It's the *size* of the engines and hence the actuators that makes this impressive. 

The major achievement is getting a mostly Italian made and designed LV onto the stand, something they have wanted since the Scout programme. Italian space hardware achievement in general are extensive (not to mention their key role in the OSC Antares LV for COTS II) but AFAIK this is their first *wholly* (within the limits of European co-operation, funding and juste return treaty obligations  :) )Italian launcher.
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Offline bolun

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Offline bolun

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Offline astropl

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Launch delayed to February, 13th.
Waldemar Zwierzchlejski (astropl)
http://lk.astronautilus.pl

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Launch delayed to February, 13th.

They give any details why?    Kinda excited about a new launch system.
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Launch delayed to February, 13th.

They give any details why?    Kinda excited about a new launch system.


No details, only short information from the PW-Sat team person.
Waldemar Zwierzchlejski (astropl)
http://lk.astronautilus.pl

Offline bolun

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http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Vega/SEMZM4TXXXG_0.html

Vega set for its inaugural flight

Quote
On 13 February, the European Space Agency will perform the first qualification flight of its brand new Vega launch vehicle.

Quote
The first mission, designated VV01, is scheduled for liftoff during a two-hour launch window during 10:00–12:00 GMT (11:00–13:00 CET; 07:00–09:00 local time)

Online jacqmans

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Vega's inaugural flight is set for February 13 at the Spaceport

February 3, 2012 – Vega Flight VV01

The first Vega qualification flight is set for February 13 from French Guiana, marking an important step toward this new lightweight vehicle’s introduction into Arianespace’s commercial launcher family.
 
With a liftoff set during a two-hour launch window that extends from 7:00 a.m. local time at the Spaceport, this mission will be performed under responsibility of the European Space Agency – which led Vega’s development with Italy’s ASI space agency and the industrial prime contractor, ELV SpA. 
 
The maiden flight is intended to qualify the overall Vega system, including the vehicle itself, its launch infrastructure and operations – from the launch campaign to payload delivery in orbit.
 
Vega was conceived for the orbiting of small- to medium-sized satellites, including institutional and scientific spacecraft.  Its benchmark mission is for a 1,500 kg. payload lift performance into a 700 km.-altitude circular orbit.
 
Once qualified, Vega will join Arianespace’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 and medium-lift Soyuz in side-by-side operations at the Spaceport.  Operations of this lightweight vehicle are performed from the Spaceport’s ZLV launch site, which originally was used for Ariane 1 and Ariane 3 launcher versions, and has been refurbished for its new role with Vega.
 
The inaugural Vega mission will carry a payload composed of nine spacecraft: Italy’s LARES laser relativity satellite, the small ALMASat-1 technology microsatellite demonstrator from the University of Bologne, and seven CubeSats developed by more than 250 university students from six different countries.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/882.asp
« Last Edit: 02/04/2012 10:56 am by jacqmans »
Jacques :-)

Offline bolun

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CubeSats on the Vega qualification flight


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