Author Topic: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)  (Read 15762 times)

Offline GWR64

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 15 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #20 on: 11/02/2021 08:46 pm »
« Last Edit: 11/02/2021 08:55 pm by GWR64 »

Offline bolun

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #21 on: 11/10/2021 11:33 am »
Arianespace will launch three CERES Earth observation satellites for French defense and security applications on board Vega

Quote
- Following the successful launch of SYRACUSE 4A on October 23, the CERES satellites from the Ministry of the Armed Forces will be launched on November 16, 2021. The CERES project is conducted by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) at the benefit of the armed forces, while the French space agency CNES assists DGA for project management.

– This launch, VV20, will be the 20th mission carried out by the Vega light launcher. Since entering service with Arianespace in early 2012, Vega has amply proven its flexibility by orbiting a total of 108 satellites, in both single and multiple launches.

– It will also be the 300th launch of the Arianespace launcher family from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, once again proving the reliability and availability of the three launchers in this family, Ariane, Soyuz and Vega, operated by Arianespace from CSG.

Twelfth launch by Arianespace in 2021, the Vega light launcher will lift off, for the third time this year, from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on November 16, 2021. It will carry on board three CERES satellites for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

The CERES program comprises three satellites flying in formation in low Earth orbit (LEO). Equipped with high-performance sensors, these satellites also offer all-weather, daily revisit frequency and are capable of collecting data enabling the characterization and location of transmitters. Airbus Defence and Space is the prime contractor for the space segment, comprising three satellites, and is co-prime with Thales Defence Mission Systems, in charge of the payload and user ground segment. CNES assists DGA for project management; it supplies and operates the satellite control ground segment.

Offline bolun

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Offline bolun

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #23 on: 11/13/2021 09:06 am »
https://twitter.com/vega_sts/status/1458412447157690378

Quote
Vega mission #VV20 is getting ready for the launch of  #CERES for the @DGA . Equipped with high-performance sensors, these satellites offer all-weather, daily revisit frequency and are capable of collecting data enabling the characterisation and location of transmitters.

Offline JuaniX

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #24 on: 11/16/2021 01:15 am »
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?
Lanzamientos Espaciales - Launch calendar in Spanish, and further info on spaceflight - https://lanzamientosespaciales.com
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Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #25 on: 11/16/2021 01:33 am »
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?
75° is one of two alternate Geosynchronous orbits (GSO / aka Geocentric orbit (GCO)) with the other being 255° at 20,200km circular (12 hour orbit). SSO in this case stands for semi-synchronous orbit NOT sun synchronous orbit. GPS/NAVSTAR use 55° inclination at the same 20,000km altitude yet they are classed as MEO because they are not synchronous.
« Last Edit: 11/16/2021 01:44 am by russianhalo117 »

Offline SPKirsch

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #26 on: 11/16/2021 01:37 am »
Article:

https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1460407577645301762
Quote
Early tomorrow morning, @Arianespace will launch a Vega rocket carrying 3 French intelligence satellites. Liftoff from Kourou is scheduled for 09:27 UTC.

ARTICLE by Lee Kanayama (@Falcon_1e):
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/11/vega-ceres-launch/

Offline JuaniX

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #27 on: 11/16/2021 01:41 am »
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?
75° is one of two alternate Geosynchronous orbits (GSO / aka Geocentric orbit (GCO)) with the other being 255° at 20,200 km circular (12 hour orbit. SSO in this case stands for semi-synchronous orbit NOT sun synchronous orbit.
Thank you! This helps a lot!!

So, the person who typed the press kit interpreted incorrectly the initials (and I would have surely done the same).
Lanzamientos Espaciales - Launch calendar in Spanish, and further info on spaceflight - https://lanzamientosespaciales.com
Everyday Astronaut - Collaborating in bringing space down to Earth for everyday people - https://everydayastronaut.com

Online Josh_from_Canada

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #28 on: 11/16/2021 04:24 am »
Livestream for the launch.
Launches Seen: Atlas V OA-7, Falcon 9 Starlink 6-4, Falcon 9 CRS-28,

Offline Satori

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #29 on: 11/16/2021 08:30 am »
Vega (VV20) launched from Kourou...

Online eeergo

First AVUM burn about to be completed, 7.7 km/s (>orbital) attained.

And first AVUM cutoff. Now coasting over the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Still some time away from S/C separations.
« Last Edit: 11/16/2021 08:45 am by eeergo »
-DaviD-

Online eeergo

Mission success! All S/C separated. Very welcomed good news for Avio, Vega and Vega-C :) https://twitter.com/arianespaceceo/status/1460554603020394496
« Last Edit: 11/16/2021 09:32 am by eeergo »
-DaviD-

Online jacqmans

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #32 on: 11/16/2021 09:57 am »
Latest Vega launch paves way for Vega-C
16/11/2021

Arianespace announced liftoff of Vega’s twentieth flight from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 9:27 GMT (10:27 CET; 06:27 local time). Vega delivered three CERES payloads for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Each payload is equipped with high-performance sensors. Flying in formation in low Earth orbit, they will offer all-weather observation, daily revisit frequency, and can collect data enabling the characterisation and location of transmitters.

The payloads were released about 56 minutes into the mission.

Vega took a path to low orbit. Further to the standard stations used on Vega launches, this flight was also tracked by a Naval station and the Santa Maria station in the Azores. 

Vega’s upper stage fired a final time to ensure indirect reentry and burn-up high in the atmosphere in compliance with debris regulations to help keep space clean.

The performance requested for this launch was 1548 kg. The three satellites totalled about 1346 kg, with payload adaptors and carrying structures making up the rest.

Vega has been in operation at Europe’s Spaceport since 13 February 2012. It has orbited a total of 111 satellites so far, on single, double and multiple payload missions to multiple orbits: polar and Sun-synchronous, elliptical and equatorial orbit.

Start of transition to more powerful Vega-C
Vega configurations
Vega configurations
Today’s mission will be followed by Vega’s successor, Vega-C, which will take its first flight in 2022. This starts the transition to Vega-C where for a period, both vehicles will be used.

ESA’s Vega-C, developed and built by prime contractor Avio in Italy, will be able to perform more launches per year than Vega and offers 800 kg more payload capacity to multiple orbits.

Vega-C is more powerful than Vega and has a larger fairing but will keep the same launch cost as Vega. This is partly achieved through sharing the same P120C motor with Ariane 6 to reduce recurring costs and thus reduce the launch cost per kilogram. Vega-C will use a range of payload carriers for different shapes and sizes of payloads from 1 kg to 2300 kg.

“This is the latest Vega success before we welcome Vega-C and new mission opportunities through increased performance and competitiveness. ESA will oversee this transition, build on the accomplishments of Vega and prepare future adaptations for a Vega-E suitable for a rapidly evolving and competitive market, to continue guaranteed access to space for Europe,” commented Renato Lafranconi, Vega programmes manager at ESA.

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Vega/Latest_Vega_launch_paves_way_for_Vega-C
Jacques :-)

Online jacqmans

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #33 on: 11/16/2021 09:58 am »
November 16, 2021

VV20: Arianespace’s Vega launcher successfully orbits three CERES satellites



- On November 16, Arianespace successfully carried out its 20th Vega launch (VV20), its 12th launch of the year and the third with the Vega light launcher. It was also the 300th launch by Arianespace from the Guiana Space Center.

– The mission orbited three CERES satellites, developed for the French armed forces with French defense procurement agency DGA as contracting authority and with the assistance of the French space agency CNES.

– This latest mission by Vega once again shows Arianespace’s ability to support the most innovative satellite-based solutions from institutional customers.

On Tuesday, November 16 at 6:27 am local time in Kourou, French Guiana, Arianespace successfully launched three CERES military intelligence satellites from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana (South America).

“This mission shows the exceptional versatility of the Vega launcher,” said Stéphane Israël, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace. “Our light launcher had already orbited two satellites for the Pleiades Neo constellation for Airbus this year, along with nine auxiliary payloads, and today we continue this string with three CERES satellites. I would like to thank the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, DGA and CNES for continuing to entrust us with their missions, and also congratulate everybody responsible for this success at Arianespace and Avio, the Vega prime contractor. It marks the third success in less than a month for our launcher family Ariane, Vega and Soyuz.”

The three CERES (CapacitÉ de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale) satellites are designed to collect signals intelligence (SIGINT) from areas inaccessible to surface sensors, excluding restrictions on airspace overflights and in all weather conditions. They will greatly enhance visual situational awareness to support the design and execution of military operations. A state-of-the-art system, CERES allows France to join the very select club of nations with these advanced capabilities. Airbus Defence and Space is the prime contractor for the space segment, and is co-prime with Thales Defence Mission Systems, in charge of the payload and user ground segment. In addition, Thales Alenia Space acts as a subcontractor to Airbus Defence and Space for the supply of the satellite platform.

The Vega launcher, built by Avio (Colleferro, Italy) as prime contractor, is perfectly suited to the institutional market. Because of its performance and versatility, Arianespace offers customers the best possible solutions to orbit their small and medium payloads for a wide range of applications (Earth observation, science, education, defense, etc.).

The launch at a glance:

336th launch for the Arianespace launcher family (300th launch from CSG),
CERES 1, 2 and 3 are the 1,060th, 1,061st and 1,062nd satellites launched by Arianespace,
They are also the 47th, 48th and 49th French institutional satellites launched by Arianespace,
CERES 1, 2 and 3 are the 116th, 117th and 118th Earth observation satellites launched by Arianespace. Earth observation missions account for 11% of all satellites launched by Arianespace.

https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/vv20-arianespaces-vega-launcher-successfully-orbits-three-ceres-satellites/
Jacques :-)

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #34 on: 11/16/2021 11:32 am »
Cross-post for launch time precise to the second:
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1460537823715643392
Quote
Spaceflight Now @SpaceflightNow
Minus-10 minutes. Weather conditions are favorable for launch this morning in French Guiana.

Liftoff of the 20th Vega rocket is set for precisely 4:27:55am EST (0927:55 GMT) with the three CERES reconnaissance satellites for the French military.
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

Offline bolun

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #35 on: 11/16/2021 03:39 pm »
https://twitter.com/AlineSpaceBiker/status/1460552651016392710

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What an beautiful blue sky to launch #Vega this morning #VV20 🚀🤩

Offline GWR64

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #36 on: 11/16/2021 06:12 pm »
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?

If the orbit is circular (which I don't know) the altitude would be 677 km. (calculated with earth radius 6371 km)
I'm afraid no TLE data will be published for the CERES satellites.

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #37 on: 11/16/2021 07:22 pm »
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?
75° is one of two alternate Geosynchronous orbits (GSO / aka Geocentric orbit (GCO)) with the other being 255° at 20,200 km circular (12 hour orbit. SSO in this case stands for semi-synchronous orbit NOT sun synchronous orbit.
Thank you! This helps a lot!!

So, the person who typed the press kit interpreted incorrectly the initials (and I would have surely done the same).
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?

If the orbit is circular (which I don't know) the altitude would be 677 km. (calculated with earth radius 6371 km)
I'm afraid no TLE data will be published for the CERES satellites.
More likely the 75° is wrong. The alternate option is the spacecraft separation orbit is 75° inclination and the spacecraft will perform the final plane change maneuver. Otherwise it is neither a sun or semi-synchronous orbit thus it would be a different orbit classification type.

Offline GWR64

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #38 on: 11/16/2021 07:43 pm »
surprise, TLE records

Quote
OBJECT A               
1 49464U 21105A   21320.66683499  .00091804  00000-0  16367-1 0  9991
2 49464  75.0000 145.2950 0000462 265.5166  94.5921 14.66435202    47
OBJECT B               
1 49465U 21105B   21320.66683100  .00112935  00000-0  20058-1 0  9992
2 49465  75.0016 145.2968 0000442 271.4266  88.6814 14.66459331    32
OBJECT C               
1 49466U 21105C   21320.66683855  .00208835  00000-0  36507-1 0  9991
2 49466  74.9991 145.2954 0000725 320.3548  39.8166 14.66507708    39
OBJECT D               
1 49467U 21105D   21320.66265608  .00084400  00000-0  44153-2 0  9991
2 49467  74.9626 145.2016 0142567 215.4627 151.3020 15.07021212    33

https://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/table.php?tleFile=tle-new&title=Last%2030%20Days%27%20Launches&orbits=25&pointsPerRev=90&frame=1

three Satellites 672 x 673 km 75° incl. , object D (AVUM) 447 x 644 km ~ 75° incl.

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Vega VV20 - CERES 1, 2, 3 - 16 November 2021 (09:27 UTC)
« Reply #39 on: 11/16/2021 07:44 pm »
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?
75° is one of two alternate Geosynchronous orbits (GSO / aka Geocentric orbit (GCO)) with the other being 255° at 20,200 km circular (12 hour orbit. SSO in this case stands for semi-synchronous orbit NOT sun synchronous orbit.
Thank you! This helps a lot!!

So, the person who typed the press kit interpreted incorrectly the initials (and I would have surely done the same).
How come the press kit says these sats are going to SSO but the inclination is 75°? Is it a really, really high orbit? Am I missing something?

If the orbit is circular (which I don't know) the altitude would be 677 km. (calculated with earth radius 6371 km)
I'm afraid no TLE data will be published for the CERES satellites.
More likely the 75° is wrong. The alternate option is the spacecraft separation orbit is 75° inclination and the spacecraft will perform the final plane change maneuver. Otherwise it is neither a sun or semi-synchronous orbit thus it would be a different orbit classification type.
surprise, TLE records

Quote
OBJECT A               
1 49464U 21105A   21320.66683499  .00091804  00000-0  16367-1 0  9991
2 49464  75.0000 145.2950 0000462 265.5166  94.5921 14.66435202    47
OBJECT B               
1 49465U 21105B   21320.66683100  .00112935  00000-0  20058-1 0  9992
2 49465  75.0016 145.2968 0000442 271.4266  88.6814 14.66459331    32
OBJECT C               
1 49466U 21105C   21320.66683855  .00208835  00000-0  36507-1 0  9991
2 49466  74.9991 145.2954 0000725 320.3548  39.8166 14.66507708    39
OBJECT D               
1 49467U 21105D   21320.66265608  .00084400  00000-0  44153-2 0  9991
2 49467  74.9626 145.2016 0142567 215.4627 151.3020 15.07021212    33

https://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/table.php?tleFile=tle-new&title=Last%2030%20Days%27%20Launches&orbits=25&pointsPerRev=90&frame=1

three Satellites 672 x 673 km 75° incl. , object D (AVUM) 447 x 644 km ~ 75° incl.
It is not in an SSO then.

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