NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

IXV & AVUM VV04

Launch Time
Wed Feb 11, 2015 13:40 UTC

The payload was separated on a suborbital trajectory, but the fourth stage (AVUM) reached orbit. Flight VV04.

Rocket

Vega
Image Credit: Arianespace
Arianespace
Status: Retired
Price: $37.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 2,200 kN
Payload to LEO: 1,436 kg
Stages: 4
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 29.9 m
Fairing Diameter: 2.6 m
Fairing Height: 7.88 m

Mission Details

IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle)

The Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) is a European Space Agency (ESA) experimental suborbital re-entry vehicle. It was developed to serve as a prototype spaceplane to validate the ESA's work in the field of reusable launchers.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1,800.0 kg
Suborbital

AVUM

After separation from the IXV, Vega's fourth AVUM stage went into low Earth orbit to test its communications with the ground. The AVUM then burned in the atmosphere.

Low Earth Orbit

Location

ELV, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

2015

7th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

222nd mission
1st mission of 2015
214th successful mission
5th consecutive successful mission

Vega

4th mission
1st mission of 2015
4th successful mission