Vega

Akey element of the European launcher strategy for access to space, the Vega small launcher is being preparing for its

maiden flight in November 2009.

The development of Vega passed majormilestones in 2007 and 2008, providingessential results in terms of test data anddesign consolidation. These will lead tothe Qualification Flight from Europe’sSpaceport in French Guiana at the endof 2009. This will be an important stepin the implementation of the Europeanstrategy in the launcher sector and theguarantee of access to space for Europe,as endorsed by the ESA MinisterialCouncil in 2003.

The ex p l o i t ation of this new ESAdeveloped launcher will widen the rangeof launch services offered by launchersdeveloped and produced by Europeanindustry and will improve launchflexibility by providing a more adaptedresponse for a wide range of Europeaninstitutional space missions, as well asan optimised family of launchers toserve commercial market needs.

Stefano Bianchi, Renato Lafranconi & Michel BonnetVega Programme, Directorate of Launchers,ESRIN, Frascati, Italy

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 45

The former ELA-1 Ariane-1 launch pad at Kourou hasbeen transformed for Vega. The Mobile Gantry is in place

and the site almost complete. In the background, anAriane-5 is seen being moved to its launch site ELA-3

Vega

Akey element of the European launcher strategy for access to space, the Vega small launcher is being preparing for its

maiden flight in November 2009.

The development of Vega passed majormilestones in 2007 and 2008, providingessential results in terms of test data anddesign consolidation. These will lead tothe Qualification Flight from Europe’sSpaceport in French Guiana at the endof 2009. This will be an important stepin the implementation of the Europeanstrategy in the launcher sector and theguarantee of access to space for Europe,as endorsed by the ESA MinisterialCouncil in 2003.

The ex p l o i t ation of this new ESAdeveloped launcher will widen the rangeof launch services offered by launchersdeveloped and produced by Europeanindustry and will improve launchflexibility by providing a more adaptedresponse for a wide range of Europeaninstitutional space missions, as well asan optimised family of launchers toserve commercial market needs.

Stefano Bianchi, Renato Lafranconi & Michel BonnetVega Programme, Directorate of Launchers,ESRIN, Frascati, Italy

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 45

The former ELA-1 Ariane-1 launch pad at Kourou hasbeen transformed for Vega. The Mobile Gantry is in place

and the site almost complete. In the background, anAriane-5 is seen being moved to its launch site ELA-3

The Vega and VERTA Programmes The Vega launch system, curre n t lydeveloped by ESA, has an essential rolewithin the family of launchers that willbe operated by Arianespace at theEuropean Spaceport in French Guiana(Centre Spatial Guyanais, CSG). It willcomplement the European Ariane andthe Russian Soyuz: Ariane is optimisedfor larger spacecraft and missions toGeostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) aswell as Earth gravity escape missions,while Soyuz is suitable for mediumsatellites in GTO and heavy satellites inLow Earth Orbit (LEO).

Vega is a four-stage launch vehicledesigned to cover a wide range of smalls atellite missions in LEO. The mainsystem re q u i re m e n t s, in terms ofpayload mass and dimensions as well asmission ra n g e, we re driven by themarket projection showing a broad needof different missions as follows: – Re f e rence: 1500 kg in polar circ u l a r

700 km orbit,– Mission range: inclination 5° to sun-

s y n c h ronous orbit, LEO and small-to-medium payload mass ra n g e, fro mm i c ro and mini-satellites up to 2.5-tonne sat e l l i t e s.

In 2010–15, the addressable marketconsists of five to seven satellites a yearwith a mass greater than 250 kg andc o m p at i ble with the Vega re f e re n c ecapability. This fully consolidates theplanned launch rate of two launches peryear as a minimum.

The Vega programme is composed ofthree ESA optional programmes (theSmall Launcher programme, the P80d e m o n s t rator prog ramme and anadditional programme slice, decided atthe end of 2007) organised into threep rojects: the launch ve h i c l e, the P80(first stage solid-rocket motor) and theground segment.

The Vega launch system includes alsothe dedicated launcher infrastructure atCSG and the worldwide ground stationnetwork necessary to launch a payloadand to place it into the required orbit,respecting the specified environment forthe payload, the safety and operationalconstraints.

to enlarge the qualification domain,sustaining its reliability, demonstratingits flexibility through various missionsand enhancing its affo rd ability fo rfuture customers.

The Vega and VERTA programmesa re funded by the fo l l ow i n gp a r t i c i p ating states: Belgium, Fra n c e,I t a ly, The Netherl a n d s, Switze rl a n d ,Spain and Sweden.

The programme is managed by anIntegrated Project Team composed ofstaff from ESA, the Italian space agencyASI and the French space ag e n c yCNES, based at ESRIN in Frascati,Italy, for the launch vehicle and groundsegment, and at CNES-DLA in Evry,France, for the P80 demonstrator.

The industrial organisation is basedon a prime contractor for each project:ELV (I) for the launch vehicle, AVIO (I)with delegation to Europropulsion (I/F)for the P80 demonstrator, and Vitrociset(I) for the ground segment.

The Vega LauncherThe Vega launcher is a single-bodyvehicle composed of three solid-rocketmotor (SRM) stages (P80, Zefiro-23 andZ e f i ro-9), a liquid-propulsion upperstage (Attitude Vernier Upper Module,AVUM) and a fairing. At lift-off, thelauncher is 30.2 m high and weighs 139 tonnes.

To minimise risks and costs, thedevelopment has been based on a mix ofwe l l - p roven technolog i e s, benefitingf rom synergy with Ariane-5development and with new technologiesaimed at reaching low recurring costobjectives. The choice of solid-rocketmotors was driven mainly bydemonstrated high reliability on Arianeprogrammes and by low developmentand recurrent costs.

The three solid-propellant stag e sperform the main ascent phase while thefourth stage compensates for the solid-p ropulsion perfo rmance scat t e r i n g ,circularises the orbit and executes thede-orbiting manoeuvres.

The diameter of the first stage hasbeen set to 3 m in order to exploit fullythe synergies with alre a dy ex i s t i n gAriane facilities for casting and

In order to prepare the exploitationp h a s e, the Vega Re s e a rch andTechnology Accompaniment (VERTA)p rog ra m m e, including the launch

Launchers

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 www.esa.intwww.esa.int 4746

Vega

services for five ESA missions, wa sdecided by the participating states at theESA Ministerial Council in December2005. This programme has the objective

Participation in the Vega and VERTA programmes

Vega launcher configurationand dimensions

ESA’s family of launchers: Vega, Soyuz, Ariane-5 and Ariane-5 ECA

The Vega and VERTA Programmes The Vega launch system, curre n t lydeveloped by ESA, has an essential rolewithin the family of launchers that willbe operated by Arianespace at theEuropean Spaceport in French Guiana(Centre Spatial Guyanais, CSG). It willcomplement the European Ariane andthe Russian Soyuz: Ariane is optimisedfor larger spacecraft and missions toGeostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) aswell as Earth gravity escape missions,while Soyuz is suitable for mediumsatellites in GTO and heavy satellites inLow Earth Orbit (LEO).

Vega is a four-stage launch vehicledesigned to cover a wide range of smalls atellite missions in LEO. The mainsystem re q u i re m e n t s, in terms ofpayload mass and dimensions as well asmission ra n g e, we re driven by themarket projection showing a broad needof different missions as follows: – Re f e rence: 1500 kg in polar circ u l a r

700 km orbit,– Mission range: inclination 5° to sun-

s y n c h ronous orbit, LEO and small-to-medium payload mass ra n g e, fro mm i c ro and mini-satellites up to 2.5-tonne sat e l l i t e s.

In 2010–15, the addressable marketconsists of five to seven satellites a yearwith a mass greater than 250 kg andc o m p at i ble with the Vega re f e re n c ecapability. This fully consolidates theplanned launch rate of two launches peryear as a minimum.

The Vega programme is composed ofthree ESA optional programmes (theSmall Launcher programme, the P80d e m o n s t rator prog ramme and anadditional programme slice, decided atthe end of 2007) organised into threep rojects: the launch ve h i c l e, the P80(first stage solid-rocket motor) and theground segment.

The Vega launch system includes alsothe dedicated launcher infrastructure atCSG and the worldwide ground stationnetwork necessary to launch a payloadand to place it into the required orbit,respecting the specified environment forthe payload, the safety and operationalconstraints.

to enlarge the qualification domain,sustaining its reliability, demonstratingits flexibility through various missionsand enhancing its affo rd ability fo rfuture customers.

The Vega and VERTA programmesa re funded by the fo l l ow i n gp a r t i c i p ating states: Belgium, Fra n c e,I t a ly, The Netherl a n d s, Switze rl a n d ,Spain and Sweden.

The programme is managed by anIntegrated Project Team composed ofstaff from ESA, the Italian space agencyASI and the French space ag e n c yCNES, based at ESRIN in Frascati,Italy, for the launch vehicle and groundsegment, and at CNES-DLA in Evry,France, for the P80 demonstrator.

The industrial organisation is basedon a prime contractor for each project:ELV (I) for the launch vehicle, AVIO (I)with delegation to Europropulsion (I/F)for the P80 demonstrator, and Vitrociset(I) for the ground segment.

The Vega LauncherThe Vega launcher is a single-bodyvehicle composed of three solid-rocketmotor (SRM) stages (P80, Zefiro-23 andZ e f i ro-9), a liquid-propulsion upperstage (Attitude Vernier Upper Module,AVUM) and a fairing. At lift-off, thelauncher is 30.2 m high and weighs 139 tonnes.

To minimise risks and costs, thedevelopment has been based on a mix ofwe l l - p roven technolog i e s, benefitingf rom synergy with Ariane-5development and with new technologiesaimed at reaching low recurring costobjectives. The choice of solid-rocketmotors was driven mainly bydemonstrated high reliability on Arianeprogrammes and by low developmentand recurrent costs.

The three solid-propellant stag e sperform the main ascent phase while thefourth stage compensates for the solid-p ropulsion perfo rmance scat t e r i n g ,circularises the orbit and executes thede-orbiting manoeuvres.

The diameter of the first stage hasbeen set to 3 m in order to exploit fullythe synergies with alre a dy ex i s t i n gAriane facilities for casting and

In order to prepare the exploitationp h a s e, the Vega Re s e a rch andTechnology Accompaniment (VERTA)p rog ra m m e, including the launch

Launchers

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 www.esa.intwww.esa.int 4746

Vega

services for five ESA missions, wa sdecided by the participating states at theESA Ministerial Council in December2005. This programme has the objective

Participation in the Vega and VERTA programmes

Vega launcher configurationand dimensions

ESA’s family of launchers: Vega, Soyuz, Ariane-5 and Ariane-5 ECA

i n t e g ration. The P80 is the larg e s tmonolithic solid-rocket motor with afilament winding CFRP motor case everdeveloped in the world.

The fourth stage (AVUM) includes ab i p ropellant (NTO/UDMH) liquid-propulsion system (LPS) that providesthe necessary velocity changes fo rreaching the final launcher orbit, and am o n o p ropellant (hyd razine) Roll andAttitude Control System (fulfilling themain functions of roll control duringflight, attitude control during coastingphases, attitude recovery during second-s t age separation, payload pointingmanoeuvre and orbit control for thecollision avoidance manoeuvre).

The Upper Composite, composed bythe payload adapter, the payload andthe fairing is mated on the top of thefourth stage.

In a single launch configuration, Vegaprovides a minimum volume allocatedto the payload consisting of acylindrical volume of 2.35 m diameterand 3.5 m height plus a frustum volumeof 2.8 m height.

Avionics functions are distribu t e damong hardwa re items and onboards o f t wa re. They are split into thre esubsystems:– the guidance, nav i g ation and contro l

subsystem, grouping all acquisition

and execution means, data pro c e s s i n gand data commu n i c ation needed bythe flight control function (duringp re-launch and flight missionp h a s e s ) ;

– the electrical safeguard subsystem,consisting of all the equipment fo rp ower generation, reception, pro -cessing and transmission to gro u n dneeded by the safety functions;

– the telemetry subsystem, including allthe means to acquire and process thetelemetry monitoring functions, andt ransmit to the gro u n d .

In order to reduce as much as possiblethe development and recurring costs, theVega avionics system is based on the useof existing hardware and/or componentsf rom Ariane and other ESA pro -grammes. As an example, the Vega on-b o a rd computer (OBC) is based onexisting blocks and components fromESA satellite programmes.

The Ground SegmentAs with Ariane-4, the Vega launcher isassembled and tested on its launch pad.The launcher preparation takes placeinside a Mobile Gantry, housing all theGround Support Equipment needed toassemble and check the launcher, whichis moved back a few hours before thelaunch.

Launchers

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 www.esa.intwww.esa.int 4948

Vega

The fo rmer Ariane-1 plat fo rm( bu n ker) is being refurbished andupgraded for Vega. The launch padi t s e l f is equipped with seve ral pipen e t wo rks which fulfil the diff e re n tfunctions required, e.g. pressurisation,cooling, ve n t i l ation, flushing andpropellants loading.

The Upper Composite assembly andchecks will be done inside the payloadintegration facilities at CSG (Ensemblede Pré p a ration des Charges Utiles,EPCU).

The Vega Control Bench facilities willbe located in the Centre De Lancement(Launch Centre) No. 3 (next to that forAriane-5).

Vega Development StatusLaunch vehicleSystem activities in 2007 were devotedto the consolidation of the launchsystem design in the frame of the VegaSystem Critical Design Review activi-ties, allowing the start the qualificationloop activities in December.

In parallel, the development activitiesat equipment and subsystem levels haveallowed the completion of most of thecritical design reviews. For some of theelements, like the fairing, the inter-stage0/1, the ignition and separation pyro-chains, the AVUM structure, the On-Board Computer and the safety units,Qualification Reviews have already beenperformed.

Testing activities have been ve r yintense too. The Upper CompositeMechanical model (UCMEC) under-went vibration and acoustic testing atthe ESTEC Test Centre from summer2006 until the beginning of October.The third and fourth stage separationand fairing horizontal separation system(HSS) tests have been perfo rmed, inEADS-CASA facilities in Spain, inDecember 2006 and February 2007re s p e c t ive ly. During November 2007,the chara c t e r i s ation of the launchvehicle bending modes and structuraldamping was carried out at IABG (D)with the integration of all the launchvehicle subassemblies except the firststage (P80 plus inter-stage 0/1).

The Vega Upper Composite electro-m agnetic compatibility tests we recompleted successfully in Colleferro (I)during summer 2007, and in INTA (E)for the final part of the conducted andradiated susceptibility tests at the end of2007/early 2008.

The qualification of the avionics hasmade significant steps ahead with the setup of the ‘hardware in the loop’ facility,now nearly finished, and the completionof the first validation campaigns of thes a f e g u a rd subsystem (SAS) andcommunication subsystem.

The P80 solid-rocket motor – the firsts t age – successfully completed itsq u a l i f i c ation firing test in December2007, one year after the test-firing of thed evelopment model, confirming thepredicted performances and behaviour.Due to its size, the P80 firing tests areperformed at the Booster Test Stand(Bâtiment d’Essais des Accélérateurs àPoudre, BEAP) at CSG.

A few months later, in March 2008, atthe Italian Air Force Salto di QuirraRange (Sardinia), the Zefiro-23 solid-rocket motor – the second stage – alsocompleted its functional qualificat i o nwith a successful second test-firing.

The qualification firing test of theZefiro-9 solid-rocket motor took placein March 2007, but failed with theejection of the nozzle after 35 seconds ofoperating time. An inquiry board wasput in place, and pointed someweaknesses in the design of the nozzleand in manufacturing quality on someof its components. Intense work wasmade by Avio teams in order to recoverthe situation, with a complete materialcharacterisation campaign (in particularof the carbon-phenolic (C-Ph) materialsused in the insulators of the carbon-carbon nozzle throat, operating at up to2000°C), redesign of the nozzle, andi m p rovement in the manu f a c t u r i n gprocess and then quality of the C-Ph

SRM nominal characteristics and performances

The P80 firing tests at the the Booster Test Stand at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in December 2007

AVUM nominal characteristics and performances

P80 Z23 Z9

Overall length (mm) 10 791 7585 3953

Outer diameter (mm) 3003 1904 1907

Propellant mass (kg) 87 733 23 823 10 570

Inert mass (kg) 7030 1951 915

Burn time (s) 110 77 118

Vacuum specific impulse (s) 280 288 296

Nozzle expansion ratio 16 27 72.5

Characteristics and performances

AVUM stage dry mass (kg) 615

Propellant loading (kg) 577

Pressuring (GHe) gas loading (kg) 4.1

Main engine thrust (N) 2450

LPS total impulse (kN s) 1634

Restart capability 5

Characterisation of launchvehicle bending modes andstructural damping at IABGin Germany (ELV)

i n t e g ration. The P80 is the larg e s tmonolithic solid-rocket motor with afilament winding CFRP motor case everdeveloped in the world.

The fourth stage (AVUM) includes ab i p ropellant (NTO/UDMH) liquid-propulsion system (LPS) that providesthe necessary velocity changes fo rreaching the final launcher orbit, and am o n o p ropellant (hyd razine) Roll andAttitude Control System (fulfilling themain functions of roll control duringflight, attitude control during coastingphases, attitude recovery during second-s t age separation, payload pointingmanoeuvre and orbit control for thecollision avoidance manoeuvre).

The Upper Composite, composed bythe payload adapter, the payload andthe fairing is mated on the top of thefourth stage.

In a single launch configuration, Vegaprovides a minimum volume allocatedto the payload consisting of acylindrical volume of 2.35 m diameterand 3.5 m height plus a frustum volumeof 2.8 m height.

Avionics functions are distribu t e damong hardwa re items and onboards o f t wa re. They are split into thre esubsystems:– the guidance, nav i g ation and contro l

subsystem, grouping all acquisition

and execution means, data pro c e s s i n gand data commu n i c ation needed bythe flight control function (duringp re-launch and flight missionp h a s e s ) ;

– the electrical safeguard subsystem,consisting of all the equipment fo rp ower generation, reception, pro -cessing and transmission to gro u n dneeded by the safety functions;

– the telemetry subsystem, including allthe means to acquire and process thetelemetry monitoring functions, andt ransmit to the gro u n d .

In order to reduce as much as possiblethe development and recurring costs, theVega avionics system is based on the useof existing hardware and/or componentsf rom Ariane and other ESA pro -grammes. As an example, the Vega on-b o a rd computer (OBC) is based onexisting blocks and components fromESA satellite programmes.

The Ground SegmentAs with Ariane-4, the Vega launcher isassembled and tested on its launch pad.The launcher preparation takes placeinside a Mobile Gantry, housing all theGround Support Equipment needed toassemble and check the launcher, whichis moved back a few hours before thelaunch.

Launchers

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 www.esa.intwww.esa.int 4948

Vega

The fo rmer Ariane-1 plat fo rm( bu n ker) is being refurbished andupgraded for Vega. The launch padi t s e l f is equipped with seve ral pipen e t wo rks which fulfil the diff e re n tfunctions required, e.g. pressurisation,cooling, ve n t i l ation, flushing andpropellants loading.

The Upper Composite assembly andchecks will be done inside the payloadintegration facilities at CSG (Ensemblede Pré p a ration des Charges Utiles,EPCU).

The Vega Control Bench facilities willbe located in the Centre De Lancement(Launch Centre) No. 3 (next to that forAriane-5).

Vega Development StatusLaunch vehicleSystem activities in 2007 were devotedto the consolidation of the launchsystem design in the frame of the VegaSystem Critical Design Review activi-ties, allowing the start the qualificationloop activities in December.

In parallel, the development activitiesat equipment and subsystem levels haveallowed the completion of most of thecritical design reviews. For some of theelements, like the fairing, the inter-stage0/1, the ignition and separation pyro-chains, the AVUM structure, the On-Board Computer and the safety units,Qualification Reviews have already beenperformed.

Testing activities have been ve r yintense too. The Upper CompositeMechanical model (UCMEC) under-went vibration and acoustic testing atthe ESTEC Test Centre from summer2006 until the beginning of October.The third and fourth stage separationand fairing horizontal separation system(HSS) tests have been perfo rmed, inEADS-CASA facilities in Spain, inDecember 2006 and February 2007re s p e c t ive ly. During November 2007,the chara c t e r i s ation of the launchvehicle bending modes and structuraldamping was carried out at IABG (D)with the integration of all the launchvehicle subassemblies except the firststage (P80 plus inter-stage 0/1).

The Vega Upper Composite electro-m agnetic compatibility tests we recompleted successfully in Colleferro (I)during summer 2007, and in INTA (E)for the final part of the conducted andradiated susceptibility tests at the end of2007/early 2008.

The qualification of the avionics hasmade significant steps ahead with the setup of the ‘hardware in the loop’ facility,now nearly finished, and the completionof the first validation campaigns of thes a f e g u a rd subsystem (SAS) andcommunication subsystem.

The P80 solid-rocket motor – the firsts t age – successfully completed itsq u a l i f i c ation firing test in December2007, one year after the test-firing of thed evelopment model, confirming thepredicted performances and behaviour.Due to its size, the P80 firing tests areperformed at the Booster Test Stand(Bâtiment d’Essais des Accélérateurs àPoudre, BEAP) at CSG.

A few months later, in March 2008, atthe Italian Air Force Salto di QuirraRange (Sardinia), the Zefiro-23 solid-rocket motor – the second stage – alsocompleted its functional qualificat i o nwith a successful second test-firing.

The qualification firing test of theZefiro-9 solid-rocket motor took placein March 2007, but failed with theejection of the nozzle after 35 seconds ofoperating time. An inquiry board wasput in place, and pointed someweaknesses in the design of the nozzleand in manufacturing quality on someof its components. Intense work wasmade by Avio teams in order to recoverthe situation, with a complete materialcharacterisation campaign (in particularof the carbon-phenolic (C-Ph) materialsused in the insulators of the carbon-carbon nozzle throat, operating at up to2000°C), redesign of the nozzle, andi m p rovement in the manu f a c t u r i n gprocess and then quality of the C-Ph

SRM nominal characteristics and performances

The P80 firing tests at the the Booster Test Stand at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in December 2007

AVUM nominal characteristics and performances

P80 Z23 Z9

Overall length (mm) 10 791 7585 3953

Outer diameter (mm) 3003 1904 1907

Propellant mass (kg) 87 733 23 823 10 570

Inert mass (kg) 7030 1951 915

Burn time (s) 110 77 118

Vacuum specific impulse (s) 280 288 296

Nozzle expansion ratio 16 27 72.5

Characteristics and performances

AVUM stage dry mass (kg) 615

Propellant loading (kg) 577

Pressuring (GHe) gas loading (kg) 4.1

Main engine thrust (N) 2450

LPS total impulse (kN s) 1634

Restart capability 5

Characterisation of launchvehicle bending modes andstructural damping at IABGin Germany (ELV)

p o r t ation to Ko u rou, storag e, inte-gration on the launch table and the finalpreparation of the launch vehicle as forflight, which includes the pro p e l l a n tloading and the va l i d ation of t h ecountdown phase.

A dedicated Integrated Operat i o n sTeam has been set up to manage thisCombined Test Campaign, takingadvantage of the cooperation betweenthe different players and securing at thesame time the continuity of technicalcompetences through the diff e re n tphases of realisation and validation ofp roducts up to the integration andlaunch campaigns. Specialists fro mindustrial contractors, support servicesand the future operator Arianespace areinvolved under the coordination of theVega Integrated Project Team.

After completion of the combinedtests and Ground Qualification Review,the Flight Readiness Review will enablethe start of the Qualification Flightcampaign that will complete thepreparation for the maiden flight. TheLaunch Readiness Review will give thegreen light for the maiden flight, andthis will be fo l l owed by a detailedexploitation of the flight results and bythe Flight Qualification Review.

The Qualification Flight The mission for the Qualification Flighthas been defined to take into accountd i ff e rent targets: mitigation of r i s k si n h e rent to the first flight, re p re s e n -t at iveness of the mission within theflight qualification domain, compliancewith gro u n d / flight safety and pro -grammatic constraints.

In particular, due to the larg e runcertainties in a first flight, specificconstraints are introduced to limit therisks safetywise. Hence the pay l o a dmass has been reduced for this flight.

The main passenger of the maidenflight is the LARES ex p e r i m e n tdeveloped by ASI. This is a satellitel a s e r- ranging experiment, completelypassive with no sensors or on-boardelectronics. The main scientific objectiveo f the LARES mission is themeasurement of the dragging of inertial

f rame due to Earth’s angularmomentum (or ‘Lense-Thirring effect’)and a high precision test of E a r t h ' sgravitomagnetic field. Gravitomagneticfield and inertial frame drag arep redictions of E i n s t e i n’s theory ofGeneral Relativity.

The secondary payloads of t h emaiden flight are educational micro -satellites.

From Development to ExploitationFor a smooth transition betwe e nd evelopment and ex p l o i t ation, theVERTA programme will undertake fivefl exibility demonstration fl i g h t s,p r i m a r i ly for ESA user missions.Different ESA user mission candidatesa re alre a dy identified for these fivelaunches:– ADM-Aeolus Earth observat i o n

mission, weighing around 1400 kg,to be placed in a sun-synchronousorbit at about 400 km altitude;

– SWARM Earth observation mission,comprising a constellation of threes atellites in near-polar orbits,between 450 and 550 km altitude;

– LISA Pathfinder science mission,weighing about 1900 kg, with ano p e rational orbit around the firstEarth-Sun Lagrange point (L1) aftera transfer trajectory from a lowEarth parking orbit;

– Proba-3, a formation-flying clusterof two mini-satellites, with a highlyelliptical final orbit;

– ESA IXV demonstrator for re-entryap p l i c at i o n s, weighing around 1850 kg, to be de-orbited by the Vegaupper stage before starting its re-entry phase at 120 km altitude.

For the first VERTA flight, scheduledsix months after the maiden flight, ESAwill issue an international Announce-ment of Opportunity (AO). Theresponse to the AO will be assessed byESA, with the participation ofArianespace, and building upon such anassessment, in a second step, a Call(s)for Proposals will be published, and thepayload(s) for the first VERTA flightwill be selected. e

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008www.esa.int 51

Vega

insulators. Most of these improvementswe re applied on the nozzle of the Zefiro-23 qualification model and thenozzle expertise after its successful firingtest confirmed the soundness of t h emodifications.

Taking adva n t age of the scheduleshift because of the redesign of theZefiro-9 nozzle, the project decided toincrease the Zefiro-9 performance withan overloading of propellant (by 560kg), allowing and improvement inlauncher payload cap ability of m o rethan 60 kg. Following a review of theimpact at motor and system levels, thei m p l e m e n t ation of this modificat i o nwas endorsed through the SystemCritical Design Review.

Because of these significant changesin the third-stage motor configuration(now named Zefiro-9A), two firing testsa re still needed to demonstrate theq u a l i f i c ation. They are scheduled inOctober 2008 and February 2009.

Not only do solid-rocket motor firingtests verify the correct overall behaviourof the Vega motors and demonstratethat the ballistic performances complywith the system requirements, but theyalso contribute to the Thrust VectorControl (TVC) subsystems qualificationas well. Large amplitude movements ofthe TVC system were executed during

the P80 and Zefiro tests, simu l at i n gworst-case manoeuvre s, and theperformance was satisfactory.

For the liquid-propulsion subsystem –the fo u r t h - s t age main engine – derive df rom the Ukrainian RD-869 engine( Yu z h n oye) has alre a dy successfullyu n d e rgone seve ral test campaigns witht wo qualification models. The firing testat subsystems level (complete liquidp ropulsion subsystem in the fl i g h tc o n f i g u ration) is under pre p a ration atthe P2 test stand in Lampoldshausen (D)and the test campaign will start insummer 2008. This will be the final stepto demonstrate the liquid-pro p u l s i o nsystem suitability for the Qualificat i o nFlight. The manufac-turing, assemblyand integration of the units for theQ u a l i f i c ation Flight have alre a dy started,a c c o rding to their qualification stat u s.

The focus in 2008 on the launchvehicle side will be the closure of themajor actions resulting from thedevelopment activities and reviews, thecompletion of all the qualificat i o nrev i ews at equipment and subsystemlevels and the acceptance of the flightu n i t s, as well as of course thepreparation of the ground qualificationreview of the launch system, scheduledto start in the first quarter of 2009, andthe preparation for the maiden flight.

Ground SegmentThe Vega ground segment has entered inits final phase with the completion ofthe detailed design of the va r i o u ssubsystems (mechanical, fluid andcontrol centre).

At CSG, the civil wo rks ofrefurbishment of the bu n ker andintegration of the Mobile Gantry mainstructure have been completed as well asthe installation of equipments fo rh e ating, ve n t i l ation and air condi-tioning. The launch table has beenintegrated in its position, and will besoon completed with the upper andl ower pallets. The umbilical mast isbeing erected in the launch area, inparallel with the integration of pipingfor fluid installation.

Fluid panels factory acceptance hasbeen completed in Europe and they willbe shipped to Kourou and connected tothe networks on the launch pad.

The Vega Control Centre (CCV), fullyd eveloped and tested at the gro u n dsegment prime contractor premises witha first release of software, has beenshipped to the launch site. This releasewill be used to start the ground segmentintegrated tests phase. Further releasesare foreseen to cover late changes.

The next important milestone for theVega ground segment is the Te s tReadiness Review for the integrated testphase under the responsibility of theindustrial prime contractor and closelyfollowed by ESA/IPT with a dedicatedteam on site. The closure of this testphase will allow pronouncing thetechnical qualification of the Ve g aground segment.

Launch SystemActivities at launch system level are nowfocused at the pre p a ration of t h eCombined Test Campaign. This will bethe major step of the launch systemdevelopment, being the first time thatthe launcher (a representative mock-up)and the ground segment will meettogether.

These tests will allow the validation ofall pro c e s s e s, from the delivery ofsubassemblies in Europe, their trans-

Launchers

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 www.esa.int50

AVUM and fairing at ESTEC for upper-composite mechanical tests(ELV)

Mobile Gantry integration activities in CSG (Vitrociset)

p o r t ation to Ko u rou, storag e, inte-gration on the launch table and the finalpreparation of the launch vehicle as forflight, which includes the pro p e l l a n tloading and the va l i d ation of t h ecountdown phase.

A dedicated Integrated Operat i o n sTeam has been set up to manage thisCombined Test Campaign, takingadvantage of the cooperation betweenthe different players and securing at thesame time the continuity of technicalcompetences through the diff e re n tphases of realisation and validation ofp roducts up to the integration andlaunch campaigns. Specialists fro mindustrial contractors, support servicesand the future operator Arianespace areinvolved under the coordination of theVega Integrated Project Team.

After completion of the combinedtests and Ground Qualification Review,the Flight Readiness Review will enablethe start of the Qualification Flightcampaign that will complete thepreparation for the maiden flight. TheLaunch Readiness Review will give thegreen light for the maiden flight, andthis will be fo l l owed by a detailedexploitation of the flight results and bythe Flight Qualification Review.

The Qualification Flight The mission for the Qualification Flighthas been defined to take into accountd i ff e rent targets: mitigation of r i s k si n h e rent to the first flight, re p re s e n -t at iveness of the mission within theflight qualification domain, compliancewith gro u n d / flight safety and pro -grammatic constraints.

In particular, due to the larg e runcertainties in a first flight, specificconstraints are introduced to limit therisks safetywise. Hence the pay l o a dmass has been reduced for this flight.

The main passenger of the maidenflight is the LARES ex p e r i m e n tdeveloped by ASI. This is a satellitel a s e r- ranging experiment, completelypassive with no sensors or on-boardelectronics. The main scientific objectiveo f the LARES mission is themeasurement of the dragging of inertial

f rame due to Earth’s angularmomentum (or ‘Lense-Thirring effect’)and a high precision test of E a r t h ' sgravitomagnetic field. Gravitomagneticfield and inertial frame drag arep redictions of E i n s t e i n’s theory ofGeneral Relativity.

The secondary payloads of t h emaiden flight are educational micro -satellites.

From Development to ExploitationFor a smooth transition betwe e nd evelopment and ex p l o i t ation, theVERTA programme will undertake fivefl exibility demonstration fl i g h t s,p r i m a r i ly for ESA user missions.Different ESA user mission candidatesa re alre a dy identified for these fivelaunches:– ADM-Aeolus Earth observat i o n

mission, weighing around 1400 kg,to be placed in a sun-synchronousorbit at about 400 km altitude;

– SWARM Earth observation mission,comprising a constellation of threes atellites in near-polar orbits,between 450 and 550 km altitude;

– LISA Pathfinder science mission,weighing about 1900 kg, with ano p e rational orbit around the firstEarth-Sun Lagrange point (L1) aftera transfer trajectory from a lowEarth parking orbit;

– Proba-3, a formation-flying clusterof two mini-satellites, with a highlyelliptical final orbit;

– ESA IXV demonstrator for re-entryap p l i c at i o n s, weighing around 1850 kg, to be de-orbited by the Vegaupper stage before starting its re-entry phase at 120 km altitude.

For the first VERTA flight, scheduledsix months after the maiden flight, ESAwill issue an international Announce-ment of Opportunity (AO). Theresponse to the AO will be assessed byESA, with the participation ofArianespace, and building upon such anassessment, in a second step, a Call(s)for Proposals will be published, and thepayload(s) for the first VERTA flightwill be selected. e

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008www.esa.int 51

Vega

insulators. Most of these improvementswe re applied on the nozzle of the Zefiro-23 qualification model and thenozzle expertise after its successful firingtest confirmed the soundness of t h emodifications.

Taking adva n t age of the scheduleshift because of the redesign of theZefiro-9 nozzle, the project decided toincrease the Zefiro-9 performance withan overloading of propellant (by 560kg), allowing and improvement inlauncher payload cap ability of m o rethan 60 kg. Following a review of theimpact at motor and system levels, thei m p l e m e n t ation of this modificat i o nwas endorsed through the SystemCritical Design Review.

Because of these significant changesin the third-stage motor configuration(now named Zefiro-9A), two firing testsa re still needed to demonstrate theq u a l i f i c ation. They are scheduled inOctober 2008 and February 2009.

Not only do solid-rocket motor firingtests verify the correct overall behaviourof the Vega motors and demonstratethat the ballistic performances complywith the system requirements, but theyalso contribute to the Thrust VectorControl (TVC) subsystems qualificationas well. Large amplitude movements ofthe TVC system were executed during

the P80 and Zefiro tests, simu l at i n gworst-case manoeuvre s, and theperformance was satisfactory.

For the liquid-propulsion subsystem –the fo u r t h - s t age main engine – derive df rom the Ukrainian RD-869 engine( Yu z h n oye) has alre a dy successfullyu n d e rgone seve ral test campaigns witht wo qualification models. The firing testat subsystems level (complete liquidp ropulsion subsystem in the fl i g h tc o n f i g u ration) is under pre p a ration atthe P2 test stand in Lampoldshausen (D)and the test campaign will start insummer 2008. This will be the final stepto demonstrate the liquid-pro p u l s i o nsystem suitability for the Qualificat i o nFlight. The manufac-turing, assemblyand integration of the units for theQ u a l i f i c ation Flight have alre a dy started,a c c o rding to their qualification stat u s.

The focus in 2008 on the launchvehicle side will be the closure of themajor actions resulting from thedevelopment activities and reviews, thecompletion of all the qualificat i o nrev i ews at equipment and subsystemlevels and the acceptance of the flightu n i t s, as well as of course thepreparation of the ground qualificationreview of the launch system, scheduledto start in the first quarter of 2009, andthe preparation for the maiden flight.

Ground SegmentThe Vega ground segment has entered inits final phase with the completion ofthe detailed design of the va r i o u ssubsystems (mechanical, fluid andcontrol centre).

At CSG, the civil wo rks ofrefurbishment of the bu n ker andintegration of the Mobile Gantry mainstructure have been completed as well asthe installation of equipments fo rh e ating, ve n t i l ation and air condi-tioning. The launch table has beenintegrated in its position, and will besoon completed with the upper andl ower pallets. The umbilical mast isbeing erected in the launch area, inparallel with the integration of pipingfor fluid installation.

Fluid panels factory acceptance hasbeen completed in Europe and they willbe shipped to Kourou and connected tothe networks on the launch pad.

The Vega Control Centre (CCV), fullyd eveloped and tested at the gro u n dsegment prime contractor premises witha first release of software, has beenshipped to the launch site. This releasewill be used to start the ground segmentintegrated tests phase. Further releasesare foreseen to cover late changes.

The next important milestone for theVega ground segment is the Te s tReadiness Review for the integrated testphase under the responsibility of theindustrial prime contractor and closelyfollowed by ESA/IPT with a dedicatedteam on site. The closure of this testphase will allow pronouncing thetechnical qualification of the Ve g aground segment.

Launch SystemActivities at launch system level are nowfocused at the pre p a ration of t h eCombined Test Campaign. This will bethe major step of the launch systemdevelopment, being the first time thatthe launcher (a representative mock-up)and the ground segment will meettogether.

These tests will allow the validation ofall pro c e s s e s, from the delivery ofsubassemblies in Europe, their trans-

Launchers

esa bulletin 135 - august 2008 www.esa.int50

AVUM and fairing at ESTEC for upper-composite mechanical tests(ELV)

Mobile Gantry integration activities in CSG (Vitrociset)