Tag: Vega
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Vega/LISA Pathfinder launch timeline
Follow the major events during the launch of Europe’s LISA Pathfinder gravitational probe testbed, from liftoff of its Vega rocket booster from French Guiana through deployment into its initial orbit. Credit: Arianespace T+00:00:00 – Liftoff The Vega rocket’s first stage P80 solid rocket motor ignites and powers the 98-foot-tall booster off the launch pad 0.3…
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Finely-crafted experimental space probe ready for launch
Updated after launch postponement. Artist’s concept of the LISA Pathfinder probe. Credit: ESA KOUROU, French Guiana — A modest European-built spacecraft tuned to test the delicate, cutting edge technologies required to detect gravitational waves, a measurement that scientists say could yield unforeseen discoveries about the universe, is awaiting liftoff aboard a solid-fueled Vega rocket this…
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LISA Pathfinder launch grounded to analyze Vega upper stage
Updated with more details. Artist’s concept of the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft separating from the fourth stage of the Vega rocket. Credit: ESA KOUROU, French Guiana — Launch managers in French Guiana have delayed liftoff of a European gravitational probe pathfinder at least one day to study the thermal extremes the upper stage of its Vega…
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Photos: Experimental LISA Pathfinder probe processed for launch
The European Space Agency’s LISA Pathfinder spacecraft, destined to test the concept of gravitational wave detection a million miles from Earth, is nearly ready for launch Dec. 2. The hexagonal spacecraft, plus a disposable propulsion module to get it to an observation post at the L1 Lagrange point, arrived at Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana…
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Launch campaign begins for Europe’s trailblazing gravity probe
ESA’s LISA Pathfinder spacecraft is seen inside IABG’s test center near Munich on Aug. 31. Credit: ESA–P. Sebirot, 2015 A compact European space probe, already fitted with a propulsive boost stage to send it a million miles from Earth, has arrived at its French Guiana launch base for liftoff in early December aboard a solid-fueled…
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Launcher contracts signify shift in Europe’s rocket industry
Artist’s concepts of the Vega C (left) and Ariane 6 (right) rockets. Credit: ESA–J. Huart and D. Ducros, 2015 Europe’s next-generation launcher family has moved a step closer to reality with the signature of nearly $3.8 billion in contracts for development of the Ariane 6 rocket and an upgraded version of the lightweight Vega booster.…
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Ariane 6 and upgraded Vega head into development phase
Arianespace’s future launchers, the Ariane 6 and Vega C, have moved into the next phase of their development, following the signing of contracts – between the European Space Agency, Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL), France’s CNES space agency and ELV – on Wednesday. Ariane 6 is expected to conduct her maiden flight in 2020 while Vega…
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New satellite joins Europe’s growing Earth observing network
The Vega rocket with Sentinel 2A blasted off at 0151:58 GMT Tuesday (9:51:58 p.m. EDT Monday) from Kourou, French Guiana. Credit: ESA–M. Pedoussaut, 2015 A new satellite to monitor crops, pollution and the growth of cities blasted off Monday from a tropical spaceport in French Guiana, adding another piece to Europe’s multibillion-dollar fleet of spacecraft…
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Photos: Vega launch lights up French Guiana
Monday night’s blastoff of a Vega rocket from the northern shore of South America dispatched a 2,500-pound Earth imaging satellite for Europe and put on a light show across the tropical spaceport at the edge of the Amazon. The 98-foot-tall rocket launched at 10:51:58 p.m. local time Monday (0151:58 GMT Tuesday; 9:51:58 p.m. EDT Monday)…
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Live coverage: Vega rocket deploys second Sentinel satellite
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Vega rocket with the Sentinel 2A land imaging satellite. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.