Vega launcher

It has three main sections: lower composite, restartable upper module and payload composite.

The lower composite consists of the three stages and the four stage interface structures.

P80 first stage

Height	10.5 m
Diameter	3 m
Propellant mass	88 t
Burn time	107 s
Max. engine thrust	3040 kN

The P80 has been developed both as Vega’s first stage and as a technology demonstrator. It is one of the largest, most powerful one-piece solid-propellant boosters ever built.

Zefiro-23 second stage

Height	7.5 m
Diameter	1.9 m
Propellant mass	23.9 t
Burn time	71.6 s
Max. engine thrust	1200 kN

Zefiro-9 third stage

Height	3.85 m
Diameter	1.9 m
Propellant mass	10.1 t
Burn time	117 s
Max. engine thrust	313 kN

Altitude & Vernier Upper Module (AVUM)

Zefiro-23 and Zefiro-9 are based on the previous Zefiro-16 technology demonstration carried out by Italian space agency ASI. Both stages are loaded with solid propellant before their shipment to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Attitude & Vernier Upper Module (AVUM)

Height	1.74 m
Diameter	1.9 m
Propellant mass	550 kg
Burn time	317 s
Max. engine thrust	2450 N

Launch performance

The restartable fourth stage, AVUM, hosts the Propulsion Module and the Avionics Module. It is restartable up to five times, allowing it to release multiple satellites into different orbits.

Payload composite

Height	7.18 m
Diameter	2.6 m
Payload volume	20 m3
Fairing mass	470 kg

The payload composite is composed of the fairing made of half shells, which protects the payload during ascent, and the payload/launcher interface structure.

Launch performance

Vega is compatible with payload masses ranging from 300 kg to 2500 kg, depending on the type and altitude of the orbit required by the customers. The benchmark is for 1500 kg into a 700 km-altitude polar orbit.