Europe’s Vega small-satellite launcher, whose inaugural flight is scheduled for mid-February, will be sold commercially for about 32 million euros ($42 million) per launch — a price that can compete with converted Russian ballistic missiles, Vega officials said Jan. 23.
European Space Agency (ESA) governments will be asked to finance only minor modifications to Europe’s new Vega small-satellite launcher when they meet November, with the main goal to position Vega as a fully European vehicle, Vega officials said Jan. 24.
Vega is envisioned as launching two times a year starting in 2013. The inaugural flight will carry the Italian government’s Lares laser reflector experiment and seven small satellites that will be placed in a lower orbit than Lares following the re-ignition of Vega’s Avum upper stage. It is the Avum stage, whose motor can be restarted up to five times in flight, that sticks out in Vega insofar as it is built in Ukraine, not in Europe. At the November ESA conference, Vega managers will try to attract a European provider, preferably Germany’s Astrium Space Transportation, to build a replacement upper stage.
... as it is built in Ukraine, not in Europe. ...
Quote... as it is built in Ukraine, not in Europe. ...Since when is the Ukraine not in Europe?
And the designer of the stage is stated as ELV. Does anyone know who's that? May be the Belgian company in charge of the GNC?
Elv (European Launch Vehicle) is a company established by Avio and ASI (Italian Space Agency) in December 2000. It was selected by ESA, the European Space Agency, to serve as prime contractor in the activities geared to the development of the European launcher, called Vega, and other small launchers with all associated technologies. The company is responsible for every aspect of system development, from the drafting of the specifications, through production, to its integration in the launch pad. Elv's primary tasks include managing and planning launcher design, development, qualification and production processes, by coordinating the activities of the subcontracts participating in the programme. Moreover, ELV coordinates and ensures the integration of the launcher in the lift-off facilities and participates with a team in the final stage of the launch. At present Elv is owned 70% by Avio SpA and 30% by ASI. Headquartered in Rome, it has an operational facility in Colleferro (Rome), where Avio has its main aerospace operations: one of the most dynamically innovative production centres, at the forefront of science and technology.
Quote from: Spiff on 01/30/2012 09:49 amQuote... as it is built in Ukraine, not in Europe. ...Since when is the Ukraine not in Europe? Depends on your definition, really. Wither cultural or geographical. But they probably mean European Union-Europe, or ESA-Europe.
The preferred solution would be to have the upper stage produced by an industrial consortium from ESA member states so that the money stays in Europe and European industry benefits from potential future sales of Vega.
QuoteThe preferred solution would be to have the upper stage produced by an industrial consortium from ESA member states so that the money stays in Europe and European industry benefits from potential future sales of Vega.As apposed to buying a complete system such as the Soyuz from Russia? I still think it's a big sham on how the Vega and Soyuz ST are being marketed. Creating a closed market for European satellites and claiming that customers supposed to buy "European rockets" regardless of the price. Right now science mission are paying a premium to fly European and all sorts of accounting tricks are used to make Arianespace break even at the end of a fiscal year. Oh well, I suppose Rockot had a failure at a critical time, and the Breeze KM shortage didn't help it either.
I don't follow the rest of your post, but concerning Arianespace - it has made a financial loss for the past few years, which has caused the ESA member states to carry out a detailed audit on its finances and make new calls for better governance.
ESA customers are forced to buy "European" even when there are cheaper alternatives available
ESA sats have been launched on launchers from all over the world
If only half the money spent on developing Vega would have been spent on developing satellites and running science programs, ESA would have had a lot more to show for itself then yet another small launch vehicle.
