Launch
Arianespace
Vega-C | Biomass
- Mission
- rocket
- Pad
- Agency
Mission
Biomass
Earth Science
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Biomass is an European Space Agency mission designed to measure the density of carbon stored in the world's forests. The spacecraft, built by Airbus Defence and Space, features the first civilian P-band synthetic aperture radar as well as a 12m-diameter deployable reflector from L3Harris made of over 900 km of gold-coated molybdenum 25µm wire. With a minimum operational lifetime of 5 years in its 666km 6am/6pm sun-synchronous orbit, the global coverage achieved every 9 months allows to precisely monitor the evolution of forests over time.
Status
Go for Launch
Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)
GUF
ELA-1, now named Ensemble de Lancement Vega (short ELV), is a launch pad at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. It has been used to support launches of the Europa rocket, Ariane 1, Ariane 3, and is currently used to launch Vega rockets.
Latitude: 5.236
longitude: -52.775
Map
Location
America/Cayenne
Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
The Guiana Space Centre is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east.
324
0
Location Image
Rocket
Vega-C
Vega-C is a single-body rocket nearly 35 m high with that weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad. As with Vega, its main elements are three solid-propellant stages, an upper stage powered by a reignitable liquid-propellant engine and a payload fairing. Vega-C's P120C first stage replaces Vega’s smaller P80 to provide a significant increase in thrust at liftoff. It is also used as boosters (2 or 4) for the Ariane 6 rocket.
Details
Min stage: 4
Max stage: 4m
Length: 35.0m
Diameter: 3.0
First Flight: July 13, 2022
Total launch count: 3
Successful launches: 2
Failed launches: 1
Pending launches: 24
Consecutive successful launches: 1
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) capacity: 3300kg
Launch cost: US$48000000
Manufacturer
Avio S.p.A
Commercial
ITA
Avio S.p.A. is an Italian company operating in the aerospace sector with its head office in Colleferro near Rome, Italy. Founded in 1908, it is present in Italy and abroad with different commercial offices and 10 production sites.
1908
CEO: Giulio Ranzo
Vega
Agency
Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a multinational company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme. Their vehicles launch exclusively from French Guiana in South America.
Details
CEO: David Cavaillolès
1980
Ariane | Vega
Total launch count: 318
Successful launches: 303
Consecutive successful launches: 6
Failed launches: 15
Pending launches: 49
