The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Infographic showing the differences between the Vega family of rockets.
Vega joined the family of rockets at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in 2012, delivering satellites and spacecraft to equatorial and Sun-synchronous orbits, its last flight was in 2024.
ESA’s Vega-C succeeds Vega with its first flight in 2022, delivering more performance, greater payload volume and better competitiveness. The rocket extends Europe’s autonomy in space by offering new mission possibilities, including return-to-Earth operations with ESA's reusable Space Rider spacecraft. Vega-C features major enhancements including two new solid propulsion stages, an higher-rated upper stage, new fairing, and new ground infrastructure.
The objective with Vega-E is to further increase the competitiveness and performance of Vega-C. This will increase its flexibility in terms of payload mass and volume and reduce the launch service cost and globally the cost of launch per kilo offered in the market. The key for achieving these objectives is the use of new technologies for a completely new upper stage, featuring a new low-cost liquid-fuelled engine, MR-10.