CERES

CERES, also known as Capacité de Renseignement Electromagnétique Spatiale or Space Signal Intelligence Capacity is a French military intelligence satellite system, consisting of three closely positioned satellites that are designed to detect and locate ground signals, along with ground control and user ground segments.

CERES will be the first operational interception system for the French defense agency and draws on the experience acquired from the ESSAIM and ELISA demonstrator satellites launched in 2004 and 2011 respectively.

Thales Alenia Space will provide the EliteBus busses and Airbus Defence and Space the payload.

The program cost is estimated at 450M€.

Image: Arianespace

Vega

"Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata,” meaning “Advanced generation European carrier rocket" in Italian -- Vega.

The rocket was designed by Arianespace to fill the need for a smaller launch vehicle that didn't need to take huge satellites to far away orbits but instead bring smaller satellites to orbits closer to Earth's surface.

Vega is made up of four stages. Standing 30 meters tall, the first three stages are solid rocket motors while the fourth stage uses a liquid fueled, restartable engine designed to place satellites into their precise orbits.

The rocket first launched in 2012, has a per mission cost of approximately $37 million (USD), and is currently being upgraded to the Vega-C variant, which should begin flying in 2022.

While Arianespace operates the rocket, Italy and the European Space Agency (ESA) own it.

It was designed and is built by ESA, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Photo: Arianespace

The Ensemble de Lancement Vega (ELV) pad at the Centre Spatial Guyanais (Guiana Space Centre) was previously used to launch the Europa, Ariane 1, Ariane 2, and Ariane 3 rockets under a different name.

It hosted its first launch on November 5th, 1971 when a Europa rocket launched the STV-4 payload. It was used for the final time for an Ariane 3 rocket in 1989, after which it went unused until 2012 when Vega began flying.

Located in French Guiana, the ELV pad is part of the French and European spaceport located near Kourou on the northern tip of South America.

Guiana Space Centre

The space center has been operational since 1968 and has hosted launches for the European Space Agency (ESA), the French National Centre for Space Studies, and commercial companies Arianespace and Azercosmos.

A total of 9 different rocket types have launched from the Guiana Space Centre, including three active rockets and six retired vehicles.

The current rockets of the Guiana Space Centre include the Ariane 5 for heavy payloads, the Russian-provided Soyuz 2 for medium-mass satellites, and Vega for smaller spacecraft.

The spaceport is also preparing for the Ariane 6, Vega C, and Vega E rockets currently under development that will launch from the space centre.

Photo: European Space Agency - S. Corvaja