European officials have confirmed that the Vega C rocket is prepared for its return to flight next week, despite a minor technical issue causing a one-day postponement of the Sentinel-1C Earth science satellite launch. Arianespace, the launch services provider, announced on November 27th a delay from the initial December 3rd launch date, citing the need for additional precautionary checks on the rocket. The new launch window is set for December 4th at 4:20 p.m. Eastern.
At a European Space Agency media briefing, officials from Arianespace and Avio, the Vega C prime contractor, downplayed the significance of the delay. Stéphane Israël, Arianespace's chief executive, stated, “I don’t think there is a lot to elaborate on. We are speaking about something which, I would say, has very limited consequences.” Giulio Ranzo, Avio's chief executive, added, “When we see something that we are not completely satisfied with, we love to intervene and conduct more checks.”
Both executives emphasized their confidence in the Vega C's readiness. Improvements include a redesigned Zefiro-40 second stage nozzle following a launch failure in December 2022. Two ground tests verified the new design's performance. Ranzo highlighted, “The two tests that we have performed, and joint work with the European Space Agency, have revealed a very good performance of the Zefiro-40 with the new design.” A “tiger team” also reviewed the overall Vega C design, bolstering its robustness.
Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA’s director of space transportation, confirmed Avio’s thorough implementation of all recommendations. The successful Vega C launch is pivotal for Europe's independent access to space, marking a key milestone alongside the Ariane 6 launch and addressing the “launcher crisis”. Tolker-Nielsen stressed, “This is an important step for Europe’s independent access to space, or, let’s say, reestablishment of this independent access to space. It is a very important step for Europe that we can return the Vega C to flight.”
The Sentinel-1C payload, built by Thales Alenia Space, is crucial, replacing the malfunctioning Sentinel-1B satellite. It will work alongside Sentinel-1A to provide radar imagery for the Copernicus Earth observation program. Christoph Kautz, director of satellite navigation and Earth observation for the European Commission, underscored the Sentinel-1 family's importance, stating they are the “workhorse” of Copernicus, producing 150,000 data products monthly. Sentinel-1C includes a new Automatic Identification System (AIS) payload for enhanced marine surveillance capabilities, as noted by Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s director of Earth observation programs. Commissioning of Sentinel-1C will take three to six months post-launch.