Vega C
VegaC, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, medium-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio. It is an evolution of the original Vega launcher, designed to offer greater launch performance and flexibility.
Approved for development by the European Space Agency in December 2014, VegaC was designed to accommodate larger institutional payloads and compete effectively in the commercial launch market. Initially marketed and operated by Arianespace, the ESA decided in August 2024 to empower Avio to directly commercialize VegaC and seek non-governmental customers. This transition is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2025.
VegaC, like its predecessor, is designed to launch small satellites for scientific and Earth observation missions to polar and sun-synchronous low Earth orbits. The reference VegaC mission places a spacecraft into a polar orbit, representing an or 60% increase over the original Vega.
Named after Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the rocket is a single-body launcher with three solid and one liquid stage. While Avio of Italy leads the Vega program, contributions come from companies in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.
Vega C introduces several key advancements over the original Vega. The first stage has been replaced by the more powerful P120C, the "C" refers to its common design allowing it to be used as a booster for the Ariane 6 launcher, enabling shared development costs. The second stage features the upgraded Zefiro 40. While the AVUM+ fourth stage remains largely unchanged, the "+" reflects its increased propellant capacity. The third stage, Zefiro 9, remains the same.
Vega rockets are launched from the ELV launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre. The VegaC's maiden flight on 13 July 2022 successfully delivered LARES 2 and six other satellites to orbit. However, the second launch on 21 December 2022 experienced a failure of the Zefiro 40 second stage, resulting in the loss of two Pléiades Neo Earth-imaging satellites. Consequently, the next launch was delayed until late 2024 to allow for the rocket motor nozzle to be redesigned.
Specifications
Stages
| Stages | Stage 1 P120C | Stage 2 Zefiro 40 | Stage 3 Zefiro 9 | Stage 4 AVUM+ |
| Height | ||||
| Diameter | ||||
| Propellant type | Solid | Solid | Solid | Liquid |
| Gross mass | ||||
| Propellant mass | ||||
| Average thrust | ||||
| Burn time | 135.7 | 92.9 | 119.6 | 924.8 |
| Specific impulse |
Main suppliers
Building the Vega is a European multi-national effort led by Avio of Italy, which manages Vega development and oversees production as the prime contractor, and also builds the Zefiro 40, Zefiro 9 and AVUM+ stages. Europropulsion, a 50-50 joint venture of Avio and ArianeGroup, builds the P120C first stage. Dutch Space of the Netherlands builds the interstage between the first and second stages. The Italian Aerospace Research Centre builds the interstage between the second and third stages. Beyond Gravity of Switzerland builds the payload fairing and onboard GNC computer. SABCA of Belgium builds the thrust vector control systems.Payload capacity
had indicated that the VegaC launcher is able to carry to a circular polar orbit at an altitude of.Because of its ability to carry heavier payloads, Beyond Gravity had to redesign the fairing of the VegaC. The new fairing is in diameter and over tall, which offers nearly double the payload volume of the original Vega, which had a fairing of in diameter and over tall.
Ascent timeline
This timeline of a typical VegaC ascent profile and associated sequence of events includes two AVUM+ boosts. However, the flight profile is optimized for each mission.| Event | Time | Altitude km | Velocity m/s |
| P120C ignition & lift-off | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P120C burn-out & separation, Zefiro 40 ignition | 142 | ||
| Zefiro 40 burn-out & separation | 245 | ||
| Zefiro 9 ignition | 249 | ||
| Fairing jettisoning | 254 | ||
| Zefiro 9 separation | 417 | ||
| AVUM+ 1st ignition | 448 | ||
| AVUM+ 1st cut-off | 1,090 | ||
| AVUM+ 2nd ignition | 3,151 | ||
| AVUM+ 2nd cut-off | 3,287 | ||
| Spacecraft separation | 3,427 |
Future
Vega C+
A mid-life upgrade, the VegaC+ will feature the enlarged P160C first stage, replacing the P120C. This version has been extended by and adds an additional of propellant, enabling the launch of an additional of payload.Other changes include a revised navigation system, a larger fairing, additional stabilization on the second- and third-stage motor nozzles, updated components, and efforts to ease production and flight-rate constraints.
The first flight of Vega C+ is not expected before 2028, when it is planned to launch ESA’s reusable Space Rider vehicle. The schedule reflects the fact that early production of the P160C motor is being prioritized for Ariane 6 missions that require the added performance.