Vega-C Rocket Successfully Returns to Flight with Sentinel-1C Launch
Europe's Vega-C rocket resumes operations after a two-year hiatus, carrying the Sentinel-1C satellite for Earth observation into orbit.
- The Vega-C rocket launched from French Guiana on December 5, 2024, marking its first successful mission since a failure in December 2022.
- The Sentinel-1C satellite, part of the EU's Copernicus program, will provide high-resolution radar imagery for environmental monitoring and maritime traffic detection.
- The rocket’s previous failure was caused by a nozzle design flaw in the Zefiro-40 motor, which has since been redesigned and successfully tested.
- This mission restores Europe's independent access to space, a critical capability amid reliance on alternatives like SpaceX during Vega-C's downtime.
- ESA plans to increase Vega-C's launch cadence, with four missions scheduled for 2025 and five more in 2026.
Gadgets 360 
l'Opinion 
The Register 
RFI 
SpaceNews 
Der Tagesspiegel 
Die Zeit 
Deutsche Welle 
Sächsische Zeitung 
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 
DER SPIEGEL 
Ouest-France 
CNA 
Sud Ouest Die Zeit Sächsische Zeitung Der Tagesspiegel 
Stern Der Tagesspiegel Stern The Register Der Tagesspiegel Der Tagesspiegel 