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The European Vega-C rocket in which Belgium and SPACEBEL in particular also play a significant part, made a brilliant return to flight last week while putting its payload, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite, into orbit.

The launch took place on December 5th at 22:20 CET from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana).

This VV25 flight success marks a crucial step forward for the European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners. Vega-C's comeback emphasises Europe's commitment to maintaining its competitive role in the global space launch market. It is also a fundamental component to ensure Europe’s autonomous access to space.

Built by Avio (Italy), the single body Vega-C launcher is an upgraded version of the Vega launcher. It features increased performance and competitiveness offering more launches and reaching more orbits. Based upon the existing Vega launch vehicle, the new rocket can carry payloads of different shapes and sizes – from 1kg to 2300 kg.

One of the industrial partners who have contributed to Vega-C's success is SPACEBEL. We have been bringing our mission-critical software expertise and support to Vega prime contractor Avio, in the development and evolution of the on-board software, in the Vega guidance, navigation and control software engineering activities and in the simulation software meant to test and validate the various functions of the flight software of Europe’s small rocket.

The successful return to flight of Vega-C not only reaffirms Europe's space ambitions but also highlights the essential role of smaller, specialized companies such as SPACEBEL. These partnerships drive innovation and ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of space technology. For SPACEBEL, this achievement confirms our reputation as a key player in the European space ecosystem, paving the way for future collaborations in ambitious space missions.

Relive the excitement of the lift-off: