Vega Launcher, with Updates, Notches Second Success

摘要

Europe's new Vega small-satellite launch vehicle on May 6 successfully conducted its second launch, a key milestone giving flight-proven status to a new guidance and control system, a new payload adapter and the rocket's ability to deorbit its upper stage to prevent orbital debris. The two main payloads-Europe's 138.2-kilogram Proba-V technology demonstration and vegetation monitoring satellite and Vietnam's 115-kilogram VNREDSat-1a, Vega's first commercial passenger- were both reported by their manufacturers to be healthy in orbit. Word was not immediately , available on the in-orbit status of Estonia's first satellite, the 1.3-kilogram ESTCube technology demonstrator. All three satellites were dropped off into sun-synchronous orbit, inclined at 98 degrees relative to the equator, at altitudes of between 600 and 820 kilometers.