First commercial launch of European Vega C rocket postponed due to failure of upper stage

Arianespace said it was necessary to postpone the launch of the European Vega C rocket due to a defect detected.

Here's What We Know

Vega C made its first launch in mid-summer and successfully launched the Italian space agency's Laser Relativity Satellite into orbit. Along with the satellite, the rocket sent half a dozen cubesats from European universities into space. The July launch, however, was a non-commercial launch.

The first commercial launch of Vega C was scheduled for late fall, but because of a defect in the upper stage it had to be postponed. The new date is December 20, 2022. Details of the malfunction are not specified, but it is known that there are no problems with the rocket and payload. Specialists will have to disassemble the upper stage to fix the defect.

Vega C is an upgraded version of the launch vehicle, which has been in use for 10 years. It has kept the third stage Zefir-9, but has received new first and second stages - P120C and Zefiro-23 respectively. Vega C is capable of orbiting a cargo weighing 2,300 kg.

Source: spacenews