Vega C

Vega C, or Vega Consolidation, is an expendable small-lift launch vehicle operated by Arianespace and developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility. Development began after the December 2014 ESA Ministerial Council to address the need to accommodate larger institutional payloads and compete with more affordable launch providers.

Like its predecessor, Vega C is designed to launch small satellites for scientific and Earth observation missions to polar and low Earth orbits. The reference Vega C mission is a polar orbit bringing a spacecraft of 2300 kg to an altitude of 700 km, an increase of 800 kg over the original. The rocket, named after Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, is a single-body launcher (no strap-on boosters) with three solid and one liquid stage. The lead manufacturer to the Vega program is from Italy, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The Vega C incorporates several key improvements over the original Vega. The first-stage motor is replaced by the more potent P120C, a shared propulsion system with the Ariane 6 launcher. The second stage is the more powerful Zefiro 40, while the AVUM+ upper stage has more propellant than the original. The Zefiro 9 third stage remains unchanged.

Vega rockets are launched from the ELV launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre. Vega C's maiden flight on 13 July 2022 successfully delivered LARES 2 and six other satellites to orbit. However, the second launch on 21 December 2022 experienced a failure of the Zefiro 40 second stage, resulting in the loss of two Pléiades Neo Earth-imaging satellites. Consequently, the next launch was delayed until late 2024 to allow for the rocket motor nozzle to be redesigned.

Main suppliers
Building the Vega is a European multi-national effort led by Avio of Italy, which manages Vega development and oversees production as the prime contractor, and also builds the Zefiro 40, Zefiro 9 and AVUM+ stages. Europropulsion, a 50-50 joint venture of Avio and ArianeGroup, builds the P120C first stage. Dutch Space of the Netherlands builds the interstage between the first and second stages. CIRA builds the interstage between the second and third stages. RUAG of Switzerland builds the payload fairing. SABCA of Belgium builds the thrust vector control systems.

Payload
Arianespace had indicated that the Vega launcher is able to carry 2300 kg to a circular polar orbit at an altitude of 700 km.

Because of its ability to carry heavier payloads, RUAG Space of Switzerland had to redesign the fairing of the Vega C.

The fairing is 3.3 m in diameter and over 9 m tall, which offers nearly double the payload volume of the original Vega, which had a fairing of 2.6 m in diameter and over 7.8 m tall.

Ascent timeline
This is a timeline of a typical Vega C ascent profile and associated sequence of events that includes two AVUM+ boosts. However, the flight profile is optimized for each mission.

Future
Building on Vega C, Vega E (or Vega Evolution) is a further evolution of the Vega C with the Zefiro 9 and AVUM+ third and fourth stage replaced with a cryogenic upper stage powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane. This variant offers even more flexibility than Vega C, with the ability to deliver multiple satellites into different orbits on a single launch.

Avio is finalizing the development of the new M10 methane engine used in the new upper stage. The engine design is the result of a collaboration between Avio and Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA) ended in 2014.

Avio successfully conducted the first series of testing of the M10 engine between May and July 2022 with the maiden flight of the Vega-E planned for 2027.