Launcher integration for Vega-C’s maiden flight has begun with the delivery of the P120C solid-fuel first stage to the Vega Launch Pad (Zone de Lancement Vega, or ZLV) at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana French, April 15, 2022. P120C will also fly on Ariane 6, with two or four units serving as boosters depending on the needs of the mission.

The intermediate segment to join the P120C first stage with the Z40 second stage followed on 22.

For flight VV21, the main payload will be LARES-2, a science mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Six European research CubeSats will also be on board.

Following the success of Vega, Member States at the ESA Ministerial Meeting in December 2014 agreed to develop the more powerful Vega-C to meet a changing market and long-term institutional needs.

Vega-C increases the performance of Vega from 1.5 t to approximately 2.2 t in a reference polar orbit of 700 km and increases the payload volume available, covering the identified mission needs of European institutional users without increasing the launch service and operating costs.

The states participating in this development are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.