Scheduled for this Wednesday, December 4 at 6:20 p.m., the launch of Vega-C is postponed until tomorrow, Thursday, December 5. There would be a mechanical problem. On the launch area at the Guiana Space Center: Vega-C is the most powerful version of the small Italian launcher.
Laura Philippon / Jean-Gilles Assard
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Published on December 4, 2024 at 4:36 p.m.,
updated December 4, 2024 at 4:37 p.m.
At the Guiana Space Center, the launch of Vega-C scheduled for this Wednesday, December 4 at 6:20 p.m. will not take place.
It is postponed until tomorrow, Thursday December 5. According to our information, there is a mechanical problem. Vega-C is the most powerful version of the small Italian launcher.
Europe has been waiting for two years for its return to flight after the failure in December 2022. For its second takeoff, the launcher was destroyed after two and a half minutes of flight.
For 24 months, Italian technicians have had to look for a new manufacturer in order to compensate for the failure of the Ukrainian manufacturer.
Just like ArianeGroup, designer of Ariane 6, Avio no longer has room for error. After the success of the first 14 flights of the small Italian launcher, there were three failures including that of Vega-C. A disappointment seriously putting a stop to a well-started program.
