By Alimat Aliyeva

The Vega C launch vehicle, carrying the Sentinel-1C satellite, successfully lifted off from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana for the first time since December 2022, Azernews reports.

The launch occurred at 18:20 local time (01:20 Baku time).

The Sentinel-1C satellite was deployed into orbit as part of the European Copernicus environmental monitoring program, which is implemented by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). This project aims to create an autonomous, multi-level system for monitoring Earth’s environmental conditions, providing valuable data for disaster management, land monitoring, and climate change research.

This launch marked a significant recovery for Vega C, following a failed mission in December 2022. During that attempt, the rocket was supposed to deploy the Pleiades Neo 5 and Pleiades Neo 6 Earth observation satellites, but about 2 minutes and 27 seconds after launch, the engine failed. Investigations revealed that the failure was caused by damage to the nozzle neck, a part purchased from an Italian company, Avio, in Ukraine.

Interestingly, the Vega C rocket is part of the ESA’s efforts to reduce reliance on external launch providers while promoting European space technology. The rocket is designed to be a lighter and more cost-effective option for launching small and medium-sized payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO), and this successful mission showcases its potential for future missions.

Additionally, the Sentinel-1C satellite is part of the ongoing effort to develop a comprehensive system for Earth observation, essential for understanding climate change and natural disasters in real time.