The Vega launcher

The Vega programme

The Vega programme has been developed and is being financed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
ESA, acting through the ESA/VEGA/IPT programme group is first level customer for the programme.

Arianespace will be operating the Vega launch complex (ELV).

The Vega launcher

The principal mission of the Vega launcher is to inject payloads of between 600 kg and 2,500 kg into a low polar orbit (300 km to 1,500 km).

Vega is in the ‘small launchers’ class with a mass at lift-off (excluding payload) of about 136 tonnes and a length of about 30 metres. Its 3 first stages have solid propellant (P80, Zefiro 23 and Zefiro 9), a fourth storable bi-propellant stage (AVUM) and a fairing for housing the payloads.

These characteristics should be compared with that of a solid propellant booster (EAP) for the Ariane 5 launcher :

	VEGA	EAP Ariane 5
Total length in meters	30	30
Diameter in meters	3 (1st stage)	3
Mass in tonnes	136	280

The Vega launcher, with a payload of 2,500 kg, carries a maximum amount of about 122 tonnes of dangerous substances including 120 tonnes of Butalane-type solid propellant.

These characteristics should be compared with that of the Ariane 5G launcher, in other words a total mass of 694 tonnes of dangerous substances including 475 tonnes of Butalane-type solid propellant.