Arianespace Vega C

Vega-C is a four-stage European small-to-medium launch vehicle, standing 34.8 m tall and capable of delivering 2,300 kg to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)^[1], with 2,500 kg to a 500 km polar orbit^[1]. The first three stages use solid propellants (P120C, Zefiro-40, Zefiro-9); the fourth stage, AVUM+, uses liquid propellants and is reignitable for precise orbit injection.^[1][2] The vehicle first flew on 13 July 2022^[1]. A Zefiro-40 nozzle erosion anomaly on the VV22 mission in December 2022 grounded the vehicle until December 2024^[3]. Avio was announced to take over direct commercialisation of Vega-C from Arianespace, with the transition planned for end-2025.^[2]

Vega-C returned to flight in December 2024 carrying Sentinel-1C^[3] and subsequently launched the ESA BIOMASS mission in April 2025^[4]. The vehicle is active as of mid-2026, with three flights completed.^[2] Payloads are launched from the Guiana Space Centre (ELA-1), Kourou, French Guiana^[1].