ESA title
P80 first stage
Enabling & Support

Vega launcher

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ESA / Enabling & Support / Space Transportation / Launch vehicles

Vega has three solid-propellant stages and a liquid-propellant upper module for attitude and orbit control, and satellite release. Unlike most small launchers, Vega will be able to place multiple payloads into orbit.

With a height of 30 m and a diameter of 3 m, Vega weighs a total of 137 t at liftoff.

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

P80
P80
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

Zefiro-23
Zefiro-23
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

Zefiro-9
Zefiro-9
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)

Mating of Vega's AVUM fourth stage
Mating of Vega's AVUM fourth stage

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)

AVUM
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

Payload composite
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.

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