Vega-C | Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)
07/02/2025 Ultimo aggiornamento
CEO: David Cavaillolès Amministratore
To Be Determined Status

Vega-C | Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Orbital Launch Attempt Count: 7160

Location Launch Attempt Count: 345

Pad Launch Attempt Count: 61

Agency Launch Attempt Count: 338

Launch Designator:

Net Precision: Quarter 1

Weather Concerns:

Fail Reason:

Flightclub URL:

Pad Turnaround: P59D

Programma

Pad

Ensemble de lancement Vega
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)

The Guiana Space Centre is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east.

Rocket

Vega-C liftoff on its maiden flight (LARES-2)
Vega-C

Vega-C is a single-body rocket nearly 35 m high with that weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad. As with Vega, its main elements are three solid-propellant stages, an upper stage powered by a reignitable liquid-propellant engine and a payload fairing. Vega-C's P120C first stage replaces Vega’s smaller P80 to provide a significant increase in thrust at liftoff. It is also used as boosters (2 or 4) for the Ariane 6 rocket.

Full Name: Vega-C

Maiden Flight: 2022-07-13

Total Launch Count: 4

Successful Launches: 3

Failed Launches: 1

Mission

Mission Name: Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Type: Astrophysics

Description: Joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to investigate the interaction between Earth’s protective shield – the magnetosphere – and the supersonic solar wind.

Orbit: Elliptical Orbit

Updates

Nosu

Nosu

2023-02-23T17:01:47Z
https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1625179058177970183

Adding launch NET April 2025