Launch Of Vega Rocket Postponed Again, Next Launch Attempt Date Not Set Yet - Arianespace

Launch of Vega Rocket Postponed Again, Next Launch Attempt Date Not Set Yet - Arianespace

The launch of the Vega carrier rocket with 53 small satellites from 21 customers in 13 countries has been postponed again amid unfavorable weather conditions, the Arianespace launch provider said in a statement

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th June, 2020) The launch of the Vega carrier rocket with 53 small satellites from 21 customers in 13 countries has been postponed again amid unfavorable weather conditions, the Arianespace launch provider said in a statement.

"New postponement for #VV16 due to altitude wind conditions above the Spaceport. #Vega and its 53 satellites remain in a stable configuration & in total safety. Operations will reestablish the launcher's full readiness," Arianespace said on Twitter.

The company is now planning for a new launch attempt, but the winds make it unclear when there will be favorable conditions at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

"The weather is not with us because we are in a period of time in June where the high-altitude winds are a big challenge for a launch," Stephane Israel, the Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace SAS, said via the Arianespace YouTube channel on Sunday.

Israel did not give a specific date for the next launch attempt, saying that the batteries of the launcher will be recharged and other preparations will need to be made first.

"We have to be a little bit patient and we will launch as quick as possible," the Arianespace CEO said.

The launch of the Vega spacecraft from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana's Kourou, initially scheduled for June 18, has already been postponed several times, the last rescheduling was made from Saturday to Sunday, June 28.

It will be the first launch of the Vega rocket since July 2019, when a failure of the second stage motor led to the destruction of the Falcon Eye 1 Earth observation spacecraft for the United Arab Emirates.