On October 13th and 14th, at ESA ESRIN premises, the first Phase of the Vega launcher Flight Readiness Review has been held. The Project Team (ELV, Vitrociset) has presented to the Board formed by representatives from ESA (JJ Dordain, A. Fabrizi), CNES (Mme I. Rongier), ASI (E. Saggese) and Arianespace (JY Le Gall) the status of Vega Program, in order to obtain the formal authorization to begin the Integration and Launch Campaign. 

The presentation has described:

• the mission objectives
• the qualification status for the LARES mission, in particular addressing the LARES TM necessary to complete the qualification of VEGA launch system
• the launcher configuration
• the main conclusions and status of actions coming from previous reviews

At the end of the two days meeting the Review Board, considered the program progress status, has authorized the beginning of the launcher integration campaign, established at November 7th when the first stage A1A (P80 motor) will be transferred from BIP (Batiment Integration Propulseur) to Mobile Gantry. 

 

During the last night, all the operations related to the launch cronology have been simulated.
The mechanical stresses due to the wind action have been registered by the sensors installed on the launcher, no more pretected by the mobile gantry.
Under monitoring also the temperature profile inside the launcher in the pre-launch phase.
From the remote control center (CDL3) the correct alignment of the inertial platform has been verified.

Erection of Vega Launch Vehicle Mock-up in the Mobile Gantry in Kourou French Guyana successfully completed on February 12.

In the frame of combined test between Vega Launch Vehicle and Ground Segment in French Guyana, the PAC assembly, transport to Mobile Gantry and integration on the four stages launch vehicle was completed on February 11. The PAC includes the payload fairing, the payload adapter and the satellite (a mock-up for the test purpose).

The integration of the Vega Fourth Stage was successfully performed on January 31st in Mobile Gantry (Kourou, French Guyana). The operation, foreseen in the frame of the Combined Test, run smooth, allowing the validation of team, procedures and tools for the upcoming Maiden Flight launch campaign.

The integration of the Vega Third Stage was successfully performed on January 19th in Mobile Gantry (Kourou, French Guyana). The Vega third stage is composed by the Composite Case Z9A Solid Rocket Motor and the Interstage 2-3 assembly. The operation was aimed to validate the ELA-1 infrastructure, team, integration procedures and tools, in view of the Maiden Flight campaign. It was performed with the mechanical mock-up of the Launch Vehicle

Erection of the Vega Second Stage during the combined test was successfully completed on December 17th in Mobile Gantry (Kourou, French Guyana). The second stage of Vega Launch Vehicle is essentially the Composite Case Z23 Solid Rocket Motor. The operation, performed in the frame of Combined Test campaign allowed to validate  the ELA-1 infrastructure, the team, integration procedures and tools, in view of the Maiden Flight campaign. At the same time activity on validation of electrical launch preparation procedure are running in CDL3.

A model of the P80 (ISV1), Vega first stage, has been installed on ELA-1 launch facility, within Kourou Space Center, French Guyana. ELA-1 is the launch pad used for Ariane 1.
P80 rolled-out towards launch facility on October 26th and this has represented the initial step of the combined tests between Vega and ground segment infrastructures. The model is fully instrumented and is filled with inert propellant.
The transfer from integration zone to the launch facility has validated the stage transport and handling equipment and has confirmed the procedures that will be used with the real launch vehicle. The first stage has been moved from BIP (Batiment Integration Propulseur - Booster Integration Building) to Mobile Gantry (MG) at launch facility through a pallet mounted on a wheeled vehicle (Fardier), similarly to what happens for loaded segment of Ariane 5 boosters.
Combined tests will go on up to the first months of 2011 culminating with the integration of the whole model of launch vehicle, comprised a satellite model placed within fairing.
This phase precedes the launch campaign that shall lead to the qualification flight foreseen by the second half of 2011.

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As Vega’s development is coming to an end with the qualification flight scheduled in 2011, two contracts were signed to allow the project to move on to the next phase.
 
Yesterday ESA and Arianespace signed the work order for production of the first Vega launcher, after qualification, as part of the Vega flexibility demonstration flights frame contract signed in December 2009.

At the same ceremony, Arianespace and the ELV company (European Launch Vehicle, Avio Group) concluded a frame contract for five launch vehicles with a firm order for one.

Antonio Fabrizi, ESA Director of Launchers, Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace and Francesco De Pasquale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ELV SpA, signed the contracts during a ceremony in Paris, France.

“This signature is a major milestone in the Vega programme as it marks the transition from the development phase to the exploitation phase and safeguards the schedule of the first Vega user missions of ESA,"said Mr Fabrizi.

"Together with Ariane-5 and Soyuz, Vega will contribute to providing Europe with the full range of launch services required for Europe’s institutional and commercial missions with greater flexibility."

The Vega launcher development is currently undergoing the final test campaign at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, to verify the operational readiness of the overall launch system.

PRESS RELEASE

The VEGA Launch Vehicle Liquid Propulsion System (LPS) has successfully completed its qualification review process on February 23rd 2010. All the development and qualification tests originally planned at system and subsystem level have been performed fulfilling the assigned objectives and the success criteria.
The LPS is a bipropellant system integrated in the VEGA AVUM fourth stage. The propulsion is performed by a high thrust bipropellant engine (MEA), which is fed directly by the propellant tanks, which are arranged into four identical tanks: two vessel for storage of fuel (UDMH) and two tanks for the oxidizer (NTO), both in parallel configuration.
The VEGA Launcher is reaching an important final milestone of it development. On Tuesday March, the 16th it has been declared successful the documentation Key Point at ESA premise which is authorizing the launcher to start the first phase of it qualification review.
Vega launcher documentation will be now submitted to the analyse of panels of independent experts which will give their contribution to the qualification. This process will finish by June this year and should authorise the last activities before launch.