Meet the Pléiades-Neo series of Earth observation satellites for France.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space, the constellation will have four satellites, each able to clearly see objects as small as 30 cm on the ground from 700 km orbits.

The four satellites will use lasers to communicate and transmit data to the ground through the European Data Relay Satellite system.

This compact dispenser-free launch configuration saves volume and mass, as well as reducing cost. Simultaneously testing both satellites in their stacked launch configuration enabled significant time saving, with only four days needed to pass both the three axes Sine testing and the acoustic test.

The satellites are highly reactive to urgent situations and can respond within 30 to 40 minutes following a request to observe an area in their field of view - which is five times faster than previous constellations, allowing them to respond to the most critical situations in near real-time.

Image Credit: Airbus

Vega-C

ESA’s Vega-C succeeds Vega, delivering increased performance, greater payload volume, and improved competitiveness. Operating from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, this rocket extends Europe’s autonomy in space by supporting new mission possibilities, including return-to-Earth operations with ESA's reusable Space Rider reentry vehicle. Vega-C features major enhancements from Vega: two new solid propulsion stages, an uprated upper stage, a new fairing, and new ground infrastructure.

Vega-C is a single-body rocket nearly 35 m high with a mass at liftoff of 210 tonnes. It places about 2300 kg in a reference 700 km-polar orbit. Using a new range of payload carriers, Vega-C accommodates a mix of cargo shapes and sizes, ranging from CubeSats as small as one kilogram up to a single large payload.

Ongoing developments extend Vega-C's capabilities to include in-orbit operations and return missions using the in-development Space Rider.

Participating States in the Vega-C programme are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Vega-C Elements

Vega-C is based on the Vega launch vehicle. As with Vega, its main elements are three solid propellant stages, an upper fourth stage powered by a reignitable liquid-propellant engine, and a payload fairing.

The fairing at the top of Vega-C is 3.3 m in diameter and over 9 m tall, doubling the payload volume available with Vega. Made of carbon fibre-polymer composite, this structure protects satellites from the thermal, acoustic, and aerodynamic stresses of liftoff and ascent through Earth's atmosphere.

The upper stage AVUM+, or Attitude Vernier Upper Module, ensures attitude control and precise orbital positioning and is designed for extended stays in space. AVUM+ has a propellant mass of 740 kg, and the main engine provides an average thrust of 2.42 kN. The reignition capability of the AVUM+ allows Vega-C to reach a range of orbits to deliver multiple payloads on a single mission. Thrusters burn several times to reach all required orbits. After the separation of all payloads, a final boost deorbits the upper stage to minimize debris left in orbit.

The third stage, Zefiro-9, is taken from Vega and burns 10 t of solid propellant.

The new Zefiro-40 second stage contains 36.2 t of solid propellant, providing an average thrust of 1304 kN.

Vega-C's P120C first stage replaces Vega’s smaller P80 to provide a significant increase in thrust at liftoff. P120C’s monolithic carbon fibre structure weighs about 8 t and carries 143.6 t of solid propellant. During its two-minute burn, this motor delivers an average thrust of 4,500 kN – equivalent to the output of 15 modern airliner engines.

The P120C also performs double duty, with either two or four of these solid fuel motors acting as strap-on boosters for ESA’s Ariane 6 launch vehicle.

Courtesy of ESA.

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 5, 1971, when a Europa rocket carried the STV-4 payload. The pad was last used in 1989 for the final Ariane 3 launch before going unused until 2012, when Vega began operations.

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

Guiana Space Centre

The Guiana Space Centre has been operational since 1968, serving the European Space Agency (ESA), the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), and commercial companies such as Arianespace and Azercosmos.

A total of nine different rocket types have launched from the spaceport, including three active rockets and six retired vehicles.

The current launch vehicles operating from the Guiana Space Centre include:

Ariane 5 – for heavy payloads.

Soyuz 2 (provided by Russia) – for medium-mass satellites.

Vega – for smaller spacecraft.

The spaceport is also preparing for the upcoming Ariane 6, Vega C, and Vega E rockets, which are currently under development.

Photo courtesy of European Space Agency - S. Corvaja