LARES;ALMASat 1; 7 CubeSat = Vega (VV1) - 13.02.12 14:00 ЛМВ

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmg.pl?b=b&type=I&single=y&start=8

Vega's thirty-tonne solid-propellant second stage, the Zefiro-23, was transferred from the Vega Booster Storage and Preparation Building to the pad on 2 December at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmg.pl?idf=SEMOAT7XZVG&type=I

Vega preparations are moving full speed ahead at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, with the mating of the Zefiro-9 solid-propellant third stage with the vehicle.

Vega's maiden flight is planned for the end of January 2012.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/vs02-success.asp

Looking ahead to Arianespace's 2012 mission activity, the initial Vega to be launched from French Guiana is taking shape at the Spaceport, with its solid propellant first, second and third stages now stacked on the launch pad.  In the next several days, Vega's AVUM liquid-propellant upper stage will be moved to the pad and installed atop the launcher.  Integration of the "upper composite," consisting of the launcher's payload and protective fairing, is planned for January, followed by final verifications of the fully integrated launcher and the countdown rehearsal.

This introductory Vega mission – designated VV01 – is anticipated in the January-February timeframe, and will carry Italy's LARES laser relativity satellite, along with the ALMASat-1 spacecraft from European universities and several small cubesat platforms.



Vega's solid-propellant third stage is installed on top of the launcher earlier this month in French Guiana as this new lightweight vehicle is readied for its maiden flight from the Spaceport in 2012.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Education/SEMG1C8XZVG_0.html

ESA's CubeSats ready for flight[/size]
 
16 December 2011
The first students' CubeSats to be sponsored by ESA's Education Office have passed their Final Acceptance Review and have been declared ready for launch on board the maiden flight of Vega, the new ESA launcher. The launch window for this historic lift-off opens on 26 January and ends in the first week of February 2012.


The Italian CubeSat
 
The seven university-built picosatellites, each weighing only 1 kilogram, were integrated with the devices that will carry them during launch – the P-PODs, or Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployers – between late October and mid November. Before they could be cleared for launch, they had to pass a detailed technical examination known as the Final Acceptance Review.
   
   
Preparing for the first integration

The review panel was composed of representatives of the ESA Education Office, the VEGA Project, and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), supported by ESA specialists of all relevant spacecraft disciplines.

The formal review process began on 24 November at the agency's Space Technology and Research Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, and it was successfully concluded on 9 December. Meanwhile, the CubeSats, already installed inside their P-PODs, were delivered to Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at the end of November.
 
   
Artist's impression of Vega
   
Between 12 and 14 December, the three P-PODs containing the CubeSats were integrated on-board the LARES System, the primary payload of the VEGA Maiden Flight Mission. Later on during the launch campaign, this will be attached to the launch vehicle's upper stage.

   
University-developed CubeSat

The single-unit CubeSats, whose development represented a highly valuable, if not unique hands-on learning experience for the university students that were involved - were developed by teams from 6 different European countries:

    Xatcobeo (a collaboration of the University of Vigo and INTA, Spain)
    Robusta (University of Montpellier 2, France)
    E-St@r (Politecnico di Torino, Italy)
    Goliat (University of Bucharest, Romania)
    PW-Sat (Warsaw University of Technology, Poland)
    MaSat-1 (Budapest University of Technology & Economics, Hungary)
    UniCubeSat GG (Universit

[anik]

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMK3RGXTWG_index_0.html

"First launch of Vega
Europe's family of launchers will welcome its smallest member, Vega.
Location: CSG, Europe's Spaceport (French Guiana)
Date: 9 February"

[KBOB]

Конкурент Falcon-1 ?

[Salo]

Одна Вега = 3 Флакона

И потом как можно конкурировать с тем, чего уже нет?

[Salo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16480111

9 January 2012 Last updated at 23:58 GMT
Launch date fixed for Esa's Vega rocket[/size]
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News


Europe has named Thursday 9 February as the day it intends to launch its new Vega rocket for the very first time.

The 30m-tall vehicle has been developed to take payloads up to 1.5 tonnes into a polar orbit, and will fly from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.

The project has been led by Italian industry and is years behind on its original schedule.

But European Space Agency Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain, said he would not force the pace.

"Today, the target date is 9 February, but it's a target," he told BBC News.

"I shall never say this is the definitive launch date because it is a maiden flight, and with a maiden flight I shall take no risk. There will be no compromise on any question which could still be open on 9 February."

The caution is well advised. Statistics show that some two-thirds of the rockets introduced in the past 20 years have had an unsuccessful first outing.

It is for this reason that the satellites carried on the "qualification" flight have been given a free ride.
Biannual operations

Vega is a four-stage rocket. Its first three segments burn a solid fuel; its fourth and final stage uses liquid propellants, and can be stopped and restarted several times to get a spacecraft into just the right orbit.

Esa expects an operational Vega to be launching about twice a year, carrying mostly small scientific and government satellites.

If the rocket should need to delay from 9 February to deal with technical issues, it will only be given a short window to resolve the problems before being asked to stand down for several weeks.

Vega's big "brother" at Kourou, the Ariane 5 rocket, is booked to launch Europe's third ATV cargo ship to the International Space Station (ISS) on 9 March, and this mission will take precedence if there is a conflict.

The frequent comings and goings at the orbiting platform require a carefully co-ordinated traffic schedule, and this will not be disrupted for an unrelated, experimental rocket flight.

"I have to respect my commitments to my International Space Station partners," Mr Dordain explained.

"It's clear that if we are arriving in a situation where the launch of Vega starts to interfere with the date of the launch of ATV 3, I will choose to switch and go for ATV first and Vega next."[/size]

[KBOB]

Одна Вега = 3 Флакона

И потом как можно конкурировать с тем, чего уже нет?

думаете Вега с первого раза взлетит?

[Salo]

А почему бы ей не взлететь?   :wink:
Но гарантию может дать только страховой полис! :roll:

[Брабонт]

думаете Вега с первого раза взлетит?

Несомненно. После команды на зажигание для пороховика одна дорога - взлетать .

[PIN]

9 февраля возможная дата, но лишь при удачном стечении обстоятельств. Если потом задержать на более, чем пару недель еще, то тогда уже после пуска ATV-3, который сдвинуть могут только чрезвычайные обстоятельства теперь.

[George]

Если мне не изменяет память, Вега  - итальянский долгострой, который тянется еще с начала 90-х, то есть от намерений до почти старта прошло 20 лет. Причем она собирается примитивно, на стартовом столе. Ей дали старт "Ариана-1".

Надеюсь, что после долгих мытарств она полетит успешно. Это будет первый итальянский старт на Куру.

[KBOB]

Если мне не изменяет память, Вега  - итальянский долгострой, который тянется еще с начала 90-х, то есть от намерений до почти старта прошло 20 лет. Причем она собирается примитивно, на стартовом столе. Ей дали старт "Ариана-1".

Надеюсь, что после долгих мытарств она полетит успешно. Это будет первый итальянский старт на Куру.

Вот именно долгострой. Спагетти-космос.

[Salo]

Работают с 98 года.

[George]

В начале 90-х я читал в журнале "Земля и Вселенная" о том, что в Италии были недовольны РН "Скаут" с космодрома Сан-Марко, и нужна замена. Тогда же были даны первые поручения о разработке новой РН, первой в Италии. Эти наработки, скопившиеся за 8 лет, легли в основу первой итальянской РН Вега. 20 лет работы. Какая уж там "Ангара"  

[PIN]

Она "итальянская" весьма и весьма условно. Основной бюджет - от ESA, участие ASI куда более скромное. И из бюджета проекта от ESA только 60% вернулось в Италию. Откуда. кстати, снова во многом разошлось подрядчикам 2го и 3го уровней по всей Европе и за ее пределы.

[George]

Насколько я помню, с этим проектом связана почти детективная история. Италия сначала разрабатывала РН для своего космодрома, что в Кении. Остальной Европе эта самостоятельность не очень нравилась. В результате компромисса итальянцы получили СК "Ариан-1", финансирование ЕКА, маркетинг от Арианспейса. И на этих условиях Вега стала европейской РН. Такая маленькая ракета и такой долгострой.

[Salo]

http://ria.ru/science/20120119/543490387.html

Ракета-носитель "Вега" готова к первому запуску с Куру 9 февраля[/size]
15:26 19/01/2012

МОСКВА, 19 янв - РИА Новости. Новая ракета-носитель легкого класса "Вега" (Vega) успешно прошла комплексные технические проверки и готова к первому запуску с космодрома Куру во Французской Гвиане, который назначен на 9 февраля, сообщило в четверг Европейское космическое агентство (ЕКА).

Ракета-носитель легкого класса "Вега" дополнит тяжелый "Ариан-5" и появившийся в распоряжении ЕКА средний российский носитель "Союз-СТ".

Четырехступенчатая ракета "Вега" предназначена для запуска небольших спутников: она сможет выводить полезную нагрузку массой 1,5 тонны на орбиту высотой 700 километров. Европейская ракета "Ариан-5" выводит на орбиту, в зависимости от высоты, от 10 до 20 тонн, "Союз" - от 3,1 до 4,9 тонны.

Первая ракета, запуск которой предварительно запланирован на 9 февраля, в середине января успешно прошла полную проверку всех четырех ступеней.

"Проверка показала, что все системы работают нормально, и ракета готова к полету", - говорится в сообщении агентства.

"Вега" выведет на орбиту итальянские научные спутники LARES (Laser Relativity Satellite) и ALMASat-1, а также семь микроспутников программы CubeSat, созданных европейскими университетами.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Vega/SEM42YMXDXG_0.html

Vega rocket ready for first flight[/size]
 
19 January 2012
Final checkout of Europe's new Vega launcher was completed last Friday, marking another milestone towards its maiden flight from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.


 
 The first Vega launch campaign began in November with the installation of the P80 first stage on the launch pad. The two solid-propellant second and third stages were added to the vehicle, followed by the AVUM – Attitude & Vernier Upper Module – liquid-propellant fourth stage.  

   
   AVUM pressurisation

All four stages have undergone final acceptance, including the testing of the avionics, guidance, telemetry, propulsion, separation pyrotechnics and safety systems.

 These steps culminated on 13 January with Vega's 'synthesis control checks', where all systems were put into launch mode for the vehicle's final acceptance. This included pressurising the AVUM propulsion systems that actuate the thruster valves.
   
The rocket's elements were switched on from the control bench to simulate the launch countdown. The onboard software then took over and simulated the different stages of a flight. The interfaces between the vehicle and the control bench were also tested.

 The test review confirmed that everything ran as expected and that the launcher is ready for flight.
 
   
AVUM   

What's next?
 
 The 'upper composite' – the fairing and payload – will be integrated, followed by final checkout of the fully assembled launcher and the countdown rehearsal.

 The first launch, VV01, is targeted for 9 February. It will carry nine satellites into orbit: the Italian space agency's LARES and ALMASat-1, together with seven CubeSats from European universities.

 This mission aims to qualify the Vega launch system, including the vehicle, its launch infrastructure and operations, from the launch campaign to payload separation and disposal of the upper module.  
 
   
Vehicle VV01   

A flexible system
 
 Vega is designed to cope with a wide range of missions and payload configurations in order to respond to different market opportunities and provide great flexibility.

 In particular, it offers configurations able to handle payloads ranging from a single satellite up to one main satellite plus six microsatellites.

 Vega is compatible with payload masses ranging from 300 kg to 2500 kg, depending on the type and altitude of the orbit required by the customers. The benchmark is for 1500 kg into a 700 km-altitude polar orbit.

 More information on Vega and updates are now available on the new launch website here.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Vega/SEMWJWGXTWG_0.html

Main events

  13-14 Oct 2011    First Flight Readiness Review
24 Oct 2011    Vega boosters and LARES satellite arrive in Kourou Harbour
7 Nov 2011    Launch campaign begins with the P80 transfer to launch pad
2 Dec 2011    Zefiro-23 is added to the launcher
7 Dec 2011    Second Flight Readiness Review gives go ahead for final preparations
9 Dec 2011    Zefiro-9 is added to the vehicle
16 Dec 2011    AVUM transfer to launch pad and mating
13 Jan 2012    Final checkout activities
21 Jan 2012    Upper composite transfer to launch pad for integration
1 Feb 2012    Launch countdown rehearsal
2-7 Feb 2012    Fuelling of restartable AVUM fourth stage
8 Feb 2012    Arming of vehicle
9 Feb 2012    Launch countdown  
 
 Last update: 16 January 2012[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Vega/SEM0TEWWVUG_0.html