Space – Vega rocket launch postponed to mid-August

“Unpublished” weather situation

This is the fifth postponement of the launch of this light launcher, already victim of a failure last summer: a first in March because of the coronavirus epidemic, then three in a row in 10 days at the end of June, due to strong high winds above the Guyana Space Center, preventing a launch northbound towards the polar orbit.

“As no improvement in the weather situation is expected in the short term, Arianespace has decided to postpone the launch of the VV16 mission until August 17, the date on which the observed wind models are more favorable”, explains Arianespace, the operator, in a press release.

These models predict that the winds will increase in the coming days, and that no improvement is to be hoped for before August 15, we said at Arianespace.

“Unfavorable winds over such a long period is unprecedented,” it was added, adding that the postponements were not linked to the Covid-19 epidemic which is currently hitting Guyana hard.

The time will be “used to recharge the batteries of the launcher and satellites under all the required safety conditions,” explains Arianespace.

Crucial mission

The VV16 mission is crucial for Europe, which must launch its first group flight, by placing a multitude of small satellites in low orbit.

This “cluster” is made up of seven small satellites (weighing between 15 and 150 kilos), as well as 46 nano-satellites, some of which, the size of a shoebox, weigh only 300 grams. Its applications range from Earth observation to meteorology, via telecommunications.

Other launchers in the world, notably those of the American SpaceX, have already launched themselves on this new market which is developing at full speed, very popular with customers because it is less expensive. “This is the first space charter,” explained Stéphane Israël, executive president of Arianespace, on RTL.

“We are going to standardize access to space for small payloads which will be able to ‘take the metro instead of taking an individual taxi’,” Daniel Neuenschwander, director of European space transport for the European Union, told AFP. European Space Agency (ESA).

Vega, a rocket made in Italy and presented as Ariane’s “little sister”, had experienced a failure in the summer of 2019, which had led to its destruction, as a precaution.

The Ariane 5 flight planned for July 28, towards the geostationary orbit for the benefit of Intelsat and BSAT, is confirmed, specifies Arianespace.