Vega

Vega is the lightweight workhorse launcher of European Space Agency.  The Vehicle was built to haul small payloads into a variety of orbits including Low Earth, Sun Synchronous and Polar Orbits. Vega is launched from Kourou, French Guiana being operated by Arianespace.

Vega is a three-stage all-solid launch vehicle with an optional liquid fueled upper stage for           re-start and precise injection capability. The launch vehicle is  29.9 meters tall, has a  main

diameter of 3.03 meters and a liftoff mass of 137,000 Kilograms. The Rocket can lift up

to 1,500 Kilograms of Payloads  into 700 km Polar orbit. Development began in 1998 and 

the first launch took place from the Guiana Space Centre on 13 February 2012.

Costs are being kept to a minimum by using advanced low-cost technologies and by introducing an optimized synergy with existing production facilities used for Ariane launchers. Vega is a single-body launcher with three solid-propellant stages and a liquid-propellant upper module for attitude and orbit control, and satellite release.  Vega is able to place multiple payloads into orbit.