The European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace have signed a work order for production of the first Vega launcher.
European Launch Vehicle (ELV) and Arianespace have also concluded a frame contract for five launch vehicles, with a firm order for one.
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The orders will allow the Vega project to progress to the next phase after it completes the development stage, with the qualification flight in 2011.
ESA director of launchers Antonio Fabrizi said that the contracts marked the transition from the development phase to the exploitation phase and safeguarded the schedule of the first Vega user missions of ESA.
“Together with Ariane-5 and Soyuz, Vega will contribute to providing Europe with the full range of launch services required for Europe’s institutional and commercial missions with greater flexibility,” Fabrizi said.
Vega is a single-body launcher with three solid-propellant stages and an additional liquid-propellant stage that will be able to place multiple payloads into orbit.
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By GlobalDataVega is designed to inject 1.5t payloads into a low polar orbit.
