ESA's new medium-lift Vega-C rocket is nearly ready for its inaugural flight, with its four fully-stacked stages now ready for payload integration, final checks and launch from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Flight VV21 will lift off as soon as 13 July, pending suitable conditions for launch.
Vega-C represents a dramatic capability boost compared to its predecessor, Vega, which has flown since 2012, increasing Vega's 1.5 t to about 2.2 t in a reference 700 km polar orbit.
Vega-C features, among others novelties, a composite grid Interstage 2/3, produced by AVIO using a technology developed at CIRA, in the Composite Prototypes Laboratory. It is the first example in Europe of a flying composite grid structure manufactured by Parallel Robotic Dry Winding (CIRA patent) and Infusion.
About Vega-C inaugural flight:
ESA - Vega-C set for inaugural launch
ESA - Vega
ESA - Vega-C stacks up for inaugural flight VV21
