Inaugural Vega launch a success
Posted: Mon, Feb 13, 2012, 9:50 PM ET (0250 GMT)
The first launch of Europe's new small launch vehicle was a success Monday, placing nine small satellites into orbit. The Vega rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:00 am EST (1000 GMT) at the beginning of a three-hour launch window. The four-stage rocket released its payloads into low Earth orbit 55 to 70 minutes later. The largest satellite on this mission was LARES, an Italian satellite designed to measure the warping of spacetime caused by the Earth's rotation. The rocket carried other smaller satellites, mostly cubesats. The launch was the first for the Vega, developed by the European Space Agency to launch smaller satellites more efficiently than the larger Soyuz and Ariane rockets that also launch from Kourou.
The first launch of Europe's new small launch vehicle was a success Monday, placing nine small satellites into orbit. The Vega rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:00 am EST (1000 GMT) at the beginning of a three-hour launch window. The four-stage rocket released its payloads into low Earth orbit 55 to 70 minutes later. The largest satellite on this mission was LARES, an Italian satellite designed to measure the warping of spacetime caused by the Earth's rotation. The rocket carried other smaller satellites, mostly cubesats. The launch was the first for the Vega, developed by the European Space Agency to launch smaller satellites more efficiently than the larger Soyuz and Ariane rockets that also launch from Kourou.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Virgin Galactic conducts first suborbital spaceflight since 2021
Posted: Sat, May 27 10:56 AM ET (1456 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, May 30
Shenzhou 16 lifts off with China’s first civilian astronaut on board
South China Morning Post — 5:34 am ET (0934 GMT) China launches Shenzhou 16 on post-assembly space station mission
collectSPACE — 5:34 am ET (0934 GMT) Xi Charm Offensive Turns to Space as ‘Divine Craft’ Launches
Bloomberg News — 5:33 am ET (0933 GMT) Shenzhou-16 astronauts arrive at China’s space station
Space News — 5:31 am ET (0931 GMT) North Korea says "reconnaissance satellite" to be launched in June
Kyodo International — 5:30 am ET (0930 GMT) |
