Vega (rocket)

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Vega at the start of Sentinel-2

Vega ( Italian Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata, "advanced generation of a European launcher") is an Italian four-stage launcher for small satellites that has been developed by Avio since 1998 on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) . It completed its successful maiden flight on February 13, 2012. It is the smallest European launcher to date and can bring up to 2.5 tons into near-Earth orbit .

Development and sales

General plan with the Vega launch pad

As a light launch vehicle, Vega complements the medium-weight Russian Soyuz and the heavy Ariane 5 , both of which also take off from Kourou . Due to its simple construction as a solid rocket, it is hoped for increased reliability and a drastic reduction in start-up costs to less than 20 million euros. Seven nations are involved in Vega: Italy (65%), France (12.43%), Belgium (5.63%), Spain (5%), the Netherlands ( NIVR , 3.5%), Switzerland ( EKWF , 1.34%) and Sweden (0.8%). Germany was not involved in the development because the DLR saw no market for a new carrier and referred to the available Russian carriers. After their starting prices had risen sharply, it was announced before the maiden flight that they would participate in a further development. In recent years, studies under the name VENUS I + II have been carried out at the DLR SART Institute.

Vega is marketed by Arianespace . Because the previously provided fourth stage of Russian and Ukrainian producers is delivered that has DLR at Airbus Defense and Space commissioned a study for a possible new fourth stage from Germany in order. The ESA development program VERTA (Vega Research and Technology Accompaniment) supports the first five flights of the Vega. Originally, this also included the start of ADM-Aeolus .

The development of the rocket was started by the Italian space agency ASI and the Italian space industry as a national project and in 1998 an ESA project with the help of the then ESA Director General Antonio Rodotà . A prototype of the P80 engine was successfully tested on December 4, 2007 in Kourou and delivered a thrust of 190 tons over 111 seconds. On April 28, 2009, the final second test of the Vega rocket engine of the third Vega stage took place in Salto di Quirra, Italy .

At the end of 2004, the conversion of the launch pad ELA-1 began in order to be able to launch the Vega from this launch pad, now called ELV (l'Ensemble de Lancement Vega). The rocket was launched for the first time on February 13, 2012. The payload consisted of the LARES satellite weighing 390 kg and eight small satellites (12.5 kg and 7 times around 1 kg).

technology

Vega

Model of the Vega-C at the Paris Air Show in June 2015

The total height of the rocket is 30 meters with a maximum diameter of three meters, a launch mass of 137 tons and a launch thrust of 2700  kilonewtons . The high thrust-to-weight ratio results in a remarkably high acceleration compared to other carriers. With the first stage, the rocket reaches over 6000 km / h in 105 seconds (acceleration around 16 m / s²).

The three lower rocket stages are operated with solid fuel, the drive has been further developed compared to the solid fuel boosters of the Ariane 5. The construction made of wound fiber composite materials saved considerable weight. The stages work with a higher combustion chamber pressure and the nozzles are moved electromechanically instead of hydraulically. The technological knowledge gained was the reason why France, after initially rejecting the Vega, took part in the launcher. There was once a plan to transfer first-stage technology to Ariane 5 boosters in order to increase payload and reduce manufacturing costs. The booster technology is now being used for the first time in the Ariane 6 .

The fourth stage is equipped with a liquid fuel engine. This engine, named VG 143, is based on the Soviet RD 869 , which was developed for the R-36M ICBM . In 2008 the first copy was delivered to Avio . It can be ignited multiple times and places the payload in the intended orbit. The technology of the payload fairing , which is thrown off after leaving the denser layers of the atmosphere, is based on that of the Ariane 5.

version First stage Second step Third step Fourth stage
Engine P80 Zefiro 23 Zefiro 9 AVUM
Type Solid liquid
fuel HTPB 1912 UDMH / N 2 O 4
height 10.5 m 7.5 m 3.85 m 1.74 m
diameter 3 m 1.9 m
Amount of fuel 88 t 23.9 t 10.1 t 0.55 t
Thrust (max.) 3040 kN 1200 kN 213 kN 2.45 kN
Relaxation ratio (nozzle expansion ratio) 16 25th 56 -
Burn time 107 p 71.6 s 117 s 315.2 s

Vega-C - Vega Consolidated

In this version of the Vega, which is currently in development, the first stage P80 will be replaced by the extended stage P120 , which is also intended as a booster for the Ariane 6 . As a second stage, instead of the Z23, the newly developed Zefiro 40 stage with a larger diameter is used. The payload capacity is to be increased from 1500 kg to 2200 kg in low earth orbit. The first flight is planned for 2020. A test of the P120 first stage was successfully carried out in summer 2018.

version First stage Second step Third step Fourth stage
Engine P120 Zefiro 40 Zefiro 9 AVUM
Type Solid Liquid
fuel HTPB 1912 UDMH / N 2 O 4
height 11.7 m 7.6 m 3.85 m 1.74 m
diameter 3.4 m 2.3 m 1.9 m
Amount of fuel 143.6 t 36.2 t 10.1 t 0.55 t
Thrust (max) 4500 kN 1304 kN 213 kN 2.45 kN
Relaxation ratio (nozzle expansion ratio) 14.56 37 56 -
Burn time 132.8 s 92.9 s 117 s 315.2 s

Vega-E - Vega Evolution

This further development is in the early development phase and is based on the Vega-C. An often re-ignitable cryogenic third stage (MYRA) is intended to replace the third stage Zefiro-9 and the fourth stage AVUM - this would both increase performance and flexibility, as well as reduce costs. For this new upper stage, Avio is developing the M10 engine in collaboration with ESA, which is powered by methane and liquid oxygen . The first launch of the Vega-E is targeted for 2024.Template: future / in 4 years

Vega Light

The Vega Light is still in the concept stage. A small rocket is planned that can bring 250-300 kg payload into 400-500 km high orbits.

Incidents

The only false start of a Vega so far occurred on July 11, 2019 ( CEST ) when the Falcon Eye 1 reconnaissance satellite was launched for the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates . It was the 15th Vega flight. 14 seconds after the first stage separation , a “violent event” occurred on the Z23 engine of the second stage, presumably as a result of a heat-related structural failure of the front (upper) engine housing. As a result, the second stage separated from the rest of the missile, which went off course and had to be blown up. There was an insured property damage of around 370 million euros. Two more launches planned for 2019 have been postponed to 2020.

Start list

literature

  • Bernd Leitenberger: The Vega: Europe's youngest launcher. BOD, Norderstedt, 2012, ISBN 978-3-8448-0619-9
  • Vega. In: Bernd Leitenberger: International launchers: The launchers of Russia, Asia and Europe , Space Edition, 2016, ISBN 978-3-7386-5252-9 , pp. 367-380
  • Bernd Leitenberger: European carrier wings 2: Ariane 5, 6 and Vega , Space Edition, 2nd edition from 2015, ISBN 978-3-7386-4296-4

Web links

Commons : Vega (rocket)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ European Vega rocket successfully launched. In: The world . Axel Springer SE , February 13, 2012, accessed on February 13, 2012 .
  2. ^ Bernd Leitenberger: The Vega: Europe's youngest launcher. BOD, Norderstedt, 2012, ISBN 978-3-8448-0619-9 , pp. 85-90.
  3. ↑ DLR awards study for new European Vega launcher to Astrium. In: Flugrevue.de. Motor Presse Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG, July 23, 2007, archived from the original on July 11, 2015 ; Retrieved October 12, 2010 .
  4. ↑ VEGA fact sheet. (PDF; 54 kB) In: esa.int. European Space Agency , accessed May 10, 2013 .
  5. ↑ FlugRevue 2/2008, p. 80.
  6. ^ Vega main engine test in Kourou. In: esa.int. European Space Agency , December 5, 2007, accessed July 6, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Second firing test for Vega's Zefiro 9A solid rocket motor. In: esa.int. European Space Agency , April 30, 2009, accessed July 6, 2019 .
  8. ^ Penultimate start of Kourou this year. In: DLR Blogs. German Aerospace Center , accessed on February 13, 2017 .
  9. ^ Bernd Leitenberger: The Vega: Europe's youngest launcher. BOD, Norderstedt, 2012, ISBN 978-3-8448-0619-9 , pp. 13-29.
  10. ↑ FliegerRevue May 2010, pp. 42–46, Rockets from the Dnepr - Ukraine space power.
  11. ↑ Main Characteristics of the VEGA-C Launcher. In: Avio.com. Avio SpA, accessed November 9, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Vega-C. In: esa.int. European Space Agency , accessed March 10, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Hot firing proves solid rocket motor for Ariane 6 and VEGA-C. In: esa.int. European Space Agency , June 16, 2018, accessed November 9, 2018 .
  14. ↑ VEGA E. In: Avio.com. Avio SpA, accessed November 9, 2018 .
  15. ↑ LYRA - VEGA evolution. In: asi.it. Agenzia Spaziale Italiana , archived from the original on September 22, 2015 ; accessed on November 3, 2015 .
  16. ^ Successfully tested the M10 methane engine prototype. In: Avio.com. Avio SpA, November 13, 2018, accessed September 2, 2019 .
  17. ↑ ESA pours $ 107 million into Vega E and a reusable spaceplane. In: spacenews.com. SpaceNews Corp., November 30, 2017, accessed November 9, 2018 .
  18. ↑ Caleb Henry: Vega rocket-builder Avio sees revenue jump, new rockets progressing. In: spacenews.com. SpaceNews Corp., March 15, 2019, accessed March 16, 2019 .
  19. ↑ Avio expanding Vega launch abilities, mulls “light” mini-variant. In: spacenews.com. SpaceNews Corp., December 28, 2017, accessed March 16, 2019 .
  20. ↑ Chris Bergin: Inquiry finds Vega failed after violent event during early second stage flight. In: Nasaspaceflight.com. NASASpaceflight LLC, September 5, 2019, accessed September 5, 2019 .
  21. ↑ Munich Re among Insurers for Vega rocket, UAE satellite. In: reuters.com. Thomson Reuters , July 12, 2019, accessed July 15, 2019 .