N° 34–2022: Invitation to media: Inaugural launch of Vega-C, flight VV21

Spokespeople will be on hand at the ESRIN event, and media in attendance will have live access to the post-flight press debriefing to be held at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Vega-C is a single body rocket about 35 m high with a mass at liftoff of 210 tonnes, able to place about 2200 kg in a reference 700 km polar orbit. Using a new range of payload carriers, Vega-C can accommodate cargo of different shapes and sizes, ranging from multiple small satellites from one kilogram up to a single large payload. Ongoing developments will extend Vega-C capabilities to include in-orbit operations and return missions using ESA's Space Rider reentry vehicle.

For VV21, Vega-C’s principal payload will be LARES-2, a scientific mission of the Italian space agency ASI. Six CubeSats built by European universities and research establishments will be orbited as secondary payloads.

Journalists are invited to the following media events.

Online pre-launch press briefing: 7 July 2022, 16:00-17:00 CEST

Spokespersons:

• Stefano Bianchi, (ESA Head of Flight Programmes Department
• Benoit Pouffary, ESA Vega & Space Rider Launch System Engineering Manager
• Ettore Scardecchia, Avio Head of Engineering
• Mario Cosmo, ASI Director of Science and Research
• Moderator: Ninja Menning, ESA Head of Newsroom and Media Relations

ESA/ASI launch event at ESA-ESRIN: 13 July starting at 11:00 CEST

Programme

11:00 Doors open and registration
11:30 Institutional welcome by ESA and ASI
11:50 ‘From Vega to Vega-C’: discussion moderated by Tommaso Ghidini, ESA Head of Structures, Mechanisms & Materials Division
12:45 Start of live transmission from Kourou
13:13 Liftoff
13:40 Lunch
14:30 Live transmission from Kourou
14:30 ’Vega-C Mission Capabilities’: discussion, moderated by Tommaso Ghidini, ESA Head of Structures, Mechanisms & Materials Division
15:30 End of live transmission from Kourou – Coffee break
16:00 Press Debriefing from Kourou – End of the event

Address:

ESA - ESRIN
Largo Galileo Galilei
00044 Frascati (RM)

https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Getting_to_ESRIN

During the event, FFP-2 face masks are strongly recommended. The programme will be detailed closer to the date and can be modified at short notice because of operational constraints.

Online post-launch press conference: 13 July from 16:00 to 17:00

Media representatives are invited to join a hybrid press conference either online, or at ESA-ESRIN or from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Spokespersons:

• Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Space Transportation Systems
• Giulio Ranzo, Avio CEO
• Giorgio Saccoccia, ASI President
• Marie Anne Clair, CNES
• Stephane Israel, CEO Arianespace

ESA Web TV

The launch will also be transmitted via ESA Web TV:

• in English on channel 1: esawebtv.esa.int/1  
• in Italian on channel 2: esawebtv.esa.int/2  

Media registration

Please express interest by WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY end of day for the pre-launch media event and FRIDAY 8 JULY for the launch event and post-launch media briefing, specifying to which media activity you would like to attend:

https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form

After registering, media will receive additional information and the link to join the online information sessions (WebEx platform) or the information for the live media event in ESRIN, Frascati, Italy.

Both the pre-launch press briefing, and post-launch press conference will be streamed at esawebtv.esa.int. Please note, only registered media will be able to ask questions via a dedicated WebEx platform.

Further information

Vega-C Media kit (EN, DE, ES, FR, IT): https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Vega/Vega-C_inaugural_flight_VV21_media_kit

ESA Space Transportation: https://www.esa.int/sts

Vega Launch System: https://www.esa.int/vega

Social media

Follow ESA on

Twitter: @vega_sts @esa @esa_sts
Facebook: @EuropeanSpaceAgency
Instagram: @europeanspaceagency
YouTube: https://youtube.com/ESA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-space-agency

Hashtags: #VegaC #VV21

Images

ESA's Photo Library for Professionals:

https://www.esa-photolibrary.com

Terms and conditions for using ESA images:

www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images

For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly

spaceinimages@esa.int

Video

https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos/2021/12/Vega-C_B-Rolls

ESA's Video Library for Professionals:

https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals

Terms and conditions for using ESA videos: https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions

For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with six Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

For further information:

ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Brigitte Kolmsee

Email: media@esa.int

Tel: +33 (0)153 69 72 99