Failed Vega-C Test Sparks Investigation as Europe’s Rocket Woes Worsen

ESA established an Independent Enquiry Commission to investigate an anomaly that occurred during Vega - C ’s static flack test on June 28 , further delaying the third launch of the medium - raising skyrocket , European Spaceflightreported .

Vega - C made its debutin July 2022 , take off for the first fourth dimension from the space authority ’s launching facility in Guiana . Its 2nd launching , however , finish in failuredue to a faulty snout . The rocket took off on December 20 , 2022 , carrying the Neo 5 and Neo 6 satellites for for Airbus’Pléiades NeoEarth - imaging constellation . About two minute and 27 seconds after launch , Vega - C ’s second leg , bid the Zefiro 40 , brook a lessening in pressure that terminated the mission .

Since then , ESA has been assay to see Vega - C fly once again , and as theEuropean space manufacture struggleswith a lack of launch vehicle choice to strain space . During a late stable fire test that was mean to prep Vega - C for launching , the rocket ’s Zefiro 40 motorexperienced an anomalyabout 40 second into the 2d - stage engine firing . The static flack tryout anomaly was not come to to the nozzle failure that give the axe Vega - C ’s 2d mission , according to the skyrocket ’s manufacturer Avio . The honker ’s new carbon paper carbon stuff “ showed a nominal carrying into action ” during the test , the Italian rocket company added .

The Vega-C rocket suffered an anomaly during a static fire test on June 28.

The Vega-C rocket suffered an anomaly during a static fire test on June 28.Photo: ESA

Vega - C ’s unchanging fire test has likely fight the rocket salad ’s launch further to 2024 . The intellect behind the test failure remains unspecified and any onward motion aimed at preparing Vega - C for launch has been stop until the effect of the probe are foretell , according to European Spaceflight .

The rocket , germinate by ESA , build by Italian party Avio , and operated by Arianespace , was design as a worthy successor to the smallVegalauncher , which has been in performance for ten years . Vega - C is jibe with a more knock-down first and 2nd stagecoach , along with an improve re - burnable upper stage .

ESA is desperate for the Vega - C to return to operation , skip to utilize the rocket to deliver European freight to revolve and maintain its bearing in the growing distance industry by having its own launch vehicle handy , thereby not needing to trust onother Eruca vesicaria sativa companies like SpaceXfor access to space . Europe ’s Ariane 5 rocketperformed its final liftoffon Wednesday , while the debut of its successor Ariane 6 has beenpushed back to late 2023 . The lean of available launch vehicles in Europe is now exceedingly thin , if not completely empty .

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