Vega C launch failure, tracked to a Ukraine-made part, could further delay a handful of missions.
Credit: JM Guillon/AP/Shutterstock
The delay is the latest a series of setbacks that have severely limited Europe’s launch capabilities. “This is a moment when we need to reflect deeply how we regain independent access to space for Europe,” said Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency , at a press briefing on 3 March.Vega C’s smaller and less powerful sibling Vega also experienced two launch failures in recent years.
The first stage of the Vega C — a solid booster of the same design as those used by Ariane’s bigger launchers — performed flawlessly after liftoff on 20 December. The engine on the second stage, a Zefiro 40 liquid fuel motor designed and assembled by Avio, then ignited as planned, said Pierre-Yves Tissier, chief technical officer of Arianespace and co-chair of the investigation into the failed launch.But 144 seconds into the flight, pressure in the hoses that feed the nozzle started to drop.
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