Arianespace announced the need to postpone the launch of the European Vega C rocket due to
What is known
In the middle of summer, Vega C made its first launch andsuccessfully launched the Italian Space Agency's Laser Relativity Satellite into orbit. Together with the satellite, the rocket sent half a dozen cubesats of European universities into space. However, the July launch was non-commercial.
The first commercial launch of the Vega C wasscheduled for late autumn, but had to be rescheduled due to a defect in the upper stage. The new date is December 20, 2022. The details of the malfunction will not be specified, but it is known that there are no problems with the rocket and payload. Specialists will have to disassemble the overclocking unit to eliminate the defect.
Vega C is an upgraded versionlaunch vehicle that has been in use for 10 years. She retained the third stage Zefir-9, but received new first and second stages - P120C and Zefiro-23, respectively. Vega C is capable of launching a cargo weighing 2300 kg into orbit.