ESA - Vega Updates (Vega, Vega C/C+, Vega E, Vega Next : 2005 and forward)

[kanarkusmaximus]

   
Widespread interest for the 2nd European CubeSat Workshop
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM8S7WPXPF_index_0.html
23 January 2009
The Second European CubeSat Workshop, organised by the ESA Education Office, was held at the European Space Technology and Research Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands from 20 to 22 January 2009.
 

Hehe, I was there. Yes, it was very interesting event.

To me, presentations about 'lessons learned' were the most interesting - especially when words about 'what went wrong' were said.

[antonioe]

Since there is considerable interest in the development of the Vega launcher, I decided to try a small experiment in scientific extrapolation.

I first heard of the Vega initiative (by that name) in the 1987 Frascati conference on small satellites, where three presentations described new small launcher developments: Vega, AMROC's ILC-1, and Pegasus (I presented the latter).  There was a good-humored bet among the three presenters on the subject of which of our rockets would launch first (AMROC's George Koopman won, although it was a sad victory).

I have been able to locate predictions of Vega's first launch dating from September of 1998 (at which time the first launch was predicted to occur "end of 2002".)  I have also located four more published predictions dating from 2000 to last December.  The data set is thus:

Date    1st Launch    Citation
Sep-98    Dec-02   http://esapub.esrin.esa.it/rfs/rfs18/CAPORICCI.pdf
Dec-00   Jan-05    http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/vega_funding_001219.html
Mar-03   Jun-06    http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Vega_Launcher_To_Orbit_Smaller_Payloads_In_Arianespace_Service.html
Nov-05   Dec-07    http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/VEGA.pdf
Jan-08   Dec-08    http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Access_to_Space/ASEKMU0TCNC_0.html

As you can see, the dates of the prediction and the predicted dates of the first flight seem to be converging!  A linear fit of these dates projects a launch date of March, 2011.  A quadratic fit, April 2009 (not likely...) A cubic predicts October 2010 (possible...) a quartic January 2009 (no...)

Having some personal experience in developing small solid-motor launch vehicles, my bet is not earlier than October 2010, but - unless the program is canceled - no later than March 2011.

Any takers?

[jacqmans]

The Vega mobile gantry completes its initial rollout evaluation at Europe’s Spaceport ELA-1 launch site

http://www.arianespace.com/news-soyuz-vega/2009/2009_02_20_gantry_rollout.asp

February 20, 2009

The launch site for Arianespace’s new Vega lightweight vehicle came alive for the first time this week as the facility’s mobile gantry performed its initial rollout test at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

This mobile gantry is part of the infrastructure at the Spaceport’s ELA-1 launch site, which had been used in the past for missions with Ariane 1 and 3 vehicles.  The original facility is being upgraded and updated, with the new gantry meeting Vega’s operational requirements. 

During launch vehicle build-up and payload integration on the pad, the mobile gantry is moved into position around the fixed umbilical mast, offering protection from the weather and providing proper working conditions for launch team personnel.  Once Vega’s assembly is complete, the gantry is rolled back to its parked position, clearing the launch pad for this lightweight vehicle’s liftoff.

The 50 meter-tall gantry structure has a maximum speed of 5 meters per minute, and it covers an 80-meter distance between the parked position and operational location.

Following the gantry’s initial rollout test, the structure will remain in its operational location for several weeks.  This will allow certain launch pad tasks to be finished, including the completion of work on the umbilical mast, along with the installation of mobile access platforms and fluid supply lines. 

[ShuttleDiscovery]

I'm really looking forward to Vega, and seeing Soyuz launching from French Guiana. I hope we won't have to wait much longer...

[bolun]

More about the Vega mobile gantry.

9 March 2009

Vega mobile gantry ready at launching position:
 
The Vega mobile gantry, inside which Europe’s new, small launch vehicle will be integrated and tested, successfully completed its first full-travel movement tests on 18 February, at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The complete movement test was targeted both at checking the moving system performance – in preparation of final acceptance tests – and the interfaces with the launch pad structures (umbilical mast, fluid connections, etc.).

The mobile gantry will now remain at the north position to complete the test measurements and analysis. After that, a sequence of integrated tests is planned to start by mid-March 2009. It will lead to the acceptance of the VEGA Ground Segment.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home/SEMUJ3ITYRF_0.html

[bolun]

XaTcobeo Cubesat of the University of Vigo (Spain) is scheduled in the maiden flight of Vega launcher.

The main objetives of the project are:

-  Verification of a new system for measuring the amount of ionizing radiation (RDS).
-  Development of a new Software defined reconfigurable radio (SRAD) system.
-  Experimental solar panel deployment system (PDM).
-  Students' education and experience.

http://www.xatcobeo.com/cms/

[faustod]

All the solid stages of VEGA are now qualified for flight!
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/hyperbola/2009/04/new-european-vega-rockets-soli.html

[jacqmans]

Second firing test for Vega’s Zefiro 9A solid rocket motor

On 28 April, the final qualification test firing of the third stage solid propellant motor for Europe’s new small launch vehicle took place at the Salto di Quirra Interforce Test Range in Sardinia, Italy.

Read the full story here: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM688BNJTF_index_0.html

[bolun]

Brochures of Vega launcher (Avio Group)

http://www.aviogroup.com/files/download/93/Presentazione%20Vega%2020mar09_rev4.pdf

http://www.aviogroup.com/files/download/49/Elv.pdf

[yaroslav]

http://news.siteua.org/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%80/70854/%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82_%D0%B4%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C_%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F_%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8F_Vega

Yuzhnoye and Yuzhmash (Dnipropetrovsk) are going to supply the first flight engine for the Vega in August

[jacqmans]

Vega launch site is readied for integration and qualification tests
June 25, 2009

http://www.arianespace.com/news-soyuz-vega/2009/2009_06_25_vega_launchsite_update.asp

The Vega launch site in French Guiana has completed its initial preparation phase, and is ready for facility integration and qualification tests that should lead to the first flight of Arianespace’s new lightweight launcher in 2010.
 
Vega will be operated from the Spaceport’s ELA-1 facility, which previously was used between 1979 and 1989 for missions with the Ariane 1 and 3 launcher versions.   It entered service with the Ariane 1’s maiden flight in December 1979, and was last used for an Ariane 3 launch in July 1989.

Refurbishment activity already completed at ELA-1 for its new role with Vega includes upgrading and resurfacing the concrete launch pad, installing a new purpose-built mobile gantry, refurbishing the support infrastructure (including electrical power and the environmental control system), and connecting the site’s various supply lines.

Claude-Henri Berna, the Arianespace Vega program director in French Guiana, said an important upcoming milestone is integrated testing of the facility with all systems and subsystems – ranging from the mobile gantry’s elevator and overhead crane to the launch site’s electrical power system. 

This activity should start this summer, and will be followed by the assembly of a pathfinder Vega using non-flight or inert components in stacking the three-stage vehicle early next year.  The vehicle will be topped off with a flight-qualified payload fairing, which subsequently is to be used on one of Vega’s introductory flights.

A four-month launch campaign for qualification purposes is targeted to begin just after the combined tests with the pathfinder Vega, after which the launch system will be authorized for its entry into service.

Vega is powered by three solid propellant stages and is topped off with the bi-propellant AVUM (Attitude and Vernier Upper Module) – which can perform up to five burns to deploy the launcher’s payload in its final orbit.
 
Berna said training has begun with a group of Arianespace Vega launch team members, including mission directors, payload managers and launch site operations managers. 

Vega launch teams will follow the same operational launch campaign procedures as for Ariane 5 flights, which maintains continuity in Arianespace’s overall mission process.  Berna said this also opens the possibility of assigning personnel to either a Vega or Ariane 5 mission – enhancing flexibility, and providing a broader experience for team members.

Following the maiden qualification mission, a series of flights will be conducted with a full range of payload configurations in order to validate Vega for its various applications on missions with small- and medium-sized spacecraft to low-Earth and Sun-synchronous missions.  This is expected to involve:

A launch with one payload weighing approximately 1,000 kg.,
A dual-passenger arrangement that carries a small and a medium-sized spacecraft,
A flight with two 400-kg.-class satellites,
A mission with a primary payload and a piggyback passenger, and
A launch with the European Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) atmospheric reentry demonstrator.

[tobi453]

Since there is considerable interest in the development of the Vega launcher, I decided to try a small experiment in scientific extrapolation.

I first heard of the Vega initiative (by that name) in the 1987 Frascati conference on small satellites, where three presentations described new small launcher developments: Vega, AMROC's ILC-1, and Pegasus (I presented the latter).  There was a good-humored bet among the three presenters on the subject of which of our rockets would launch first (AMROC's George Koopman won, although it was a sad victory).

I have been able to locate predictions of Vega's first launch dating from September of 1998 (at which time the first launch was predicted to occur "end of 2002".)  I have also located four more published predictions dating from 2000 to last December.  The data set is thus:

Date    1st Launch    Citation
Sep-98    Dec-02   http://esapub.esrin.esa.it/rfs/rfs18/CAPORICCI.pdf
Dec-00   Jan-05    http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/vega_funding_001219.html
Mar-03   Jun-06    http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Vega_Launcher_To_Orbit_Smaller_Payloads_In_Arianespace_Service.html
Nov-05   Dec-07    http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/VEGA.pdf
Jan-08   Dec-08    http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Access_to_Space/ASEKMU0TCNC_0.html

As you can see, the dates of the prediction and the predicted dates of the first flight seem to be converging!  A linear fit of these dates projects a launch date of March, 2011.  A quadratic fit, April 2009 (not likely...) A cubic predicts October 2010 (possible...) a quartic January 2009 (no...)

Having some personal experience in developing small solid-motor launch vehicles, my bet is not earlier than October 2010, but - unless the program is canceled - no later than March 2011.

Any takers?

Vega maiden flight has been delayed until October 2010:
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/06/14/327885/paris-air-show-soyuz-french-guiana-launch-delayed-to.html

Good prediction, antonioe!

[bolun]

Vega updates, according to ESA bulletin number 139 (August 2009)

Page 63

- First launch November 2010

Page 76

On 28 April, the Zefiro 9A solid rocket final qualification test firing took place at the Salto di Quirra Interforce Test Range in Sardinia, Italy. The test verified the behaviour of the Zefiro 9A motor in a fully flight- representative configuration, and confirmed the design performance and collected information for system studies at stage level.

The AVUM liquid propulsion system firing test campaign of long-duration runs was completed except for hot-restart and depletion tests.

The P80 Ground Qualification Review began in June; the Insulated Motor Case generic qualification tests on the development model were achieved, except burst tests that are planned for September.

After in-plant qualification, the second release of the Vega Control Centre has been installed at the Vega launch site.

[bolun]

First test of Vega launch pad components

Earlier this month, a number of Vega launch pad mechanical components were tested to verify their ability to transfer the launch vehicle’s first stage from a specialised transport vehicle, known as the ‘Fardier’, to the launch table.

The tests involved several elements under the P80 first stage solid rocket motor: the dolly interface, the upper and lower pallets, and the launch table.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home/SEMTRFOC02G_0.html

More about the "Fardier":

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home/SEMTRFOC02G_1.html

[bolun]

Vega test firing:  Zefiro 9-A motor (third stage)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&feature=related&v=ITM9RCvs78U

[woods170]

Launch pad development could delay Vega until 2011

The debut launch of Europe's new Vega small satellite launcher could slip until 2011, mainly due to potential delays in the development of ground systems at the rocket's launch site in South America.

"I think Vega will be launched around the 31st of December, and we will see in April whether it is just before or just after," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, the European Space Agency director general.

More at: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1001/18vega/

[bolun]

From ESA Bulletin Number 141 (February 2010)

Vega

Launcher qualification took place of the inter-stage 2/3, and payload adapter, propellant tanks and liquid propulsion qualification reviews were completed following the successful system test-firing campaign(UCFire). The main critical item remains the Roll and Attitude Control subsystem qualification, not yet completed. The data package of the launch vehicle was delivered in December for the launch system qualification review, and is under analysis. The update of the flight programme software and activities for the LARES mission (Vega qualification flight) have started.

The last P80 test (case-burst test) was made at the beginning of December. Activities on the P80 Thrust Vector Control are complete, and the data package for this qualification review is under finalisation.

In the ground segment, integrated tests are ongoing and are planned to complete by April, except for activities of washing columns, optical shelters and security systems, modified recently after Soyuz experience. The preparation of the ground qualification review and ground segment Technical Qualification Review has started.

[bolun]

Vega's testing and initial launch campaign services are outlined in European Space Agency agreement with Arianespace

January 28, 2010

Vega's combined testing, integration and a rehearsal launch campaign will be performed at the Spaceport beginning this April using a representative Vega launcher model.

The tests will be used to validate the Vega’s ground/launcher interfaces, as well as procedures for launcher operation and control, and are to be followed by the lightweight vehicle’s qualification launch campaign.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-soyuz-vega/2010/2010_01_28_vega_launch_contract.asp

[osiossim]

From the Head of the ESA in Russia Rene Pieschel;


Roscosmos: " When can place the first missile launch "Vega"? For some reason it constantly delayed start?

Mr. Pieschel: "Vega" is planned to start towards the end of the year. Testing of both the rocket and its ground-based launch site at Kourou go according to plan, although, as we know, we have a definite schedule slippage, associated primarily with technical problems. We are trying to overcome them."


And the rest is here; http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=10048

[osiossim]

Delays Continue To Affect Vega, European Soyuz Programs

http://www.spacenews.com/launch/100430-delays-vega-european-soyuz.html