• Vega-C (VV25 mission) successfully placed the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite into Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 700 km. Vega-C blasted off into leaden skies from its Kourou launch pad in French Guiana.

• Sentinel-1C is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Space program Earth observation component.

• This launch is the 6th Sentinel satellite in the Copernicus program launched by Arianespace.

• Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-1B, Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-2C were successfully launched by Arianespace.

What is Copernicus program?

• Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space program. 

• It provides accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security.

• Earth observation refers to the use of remote sensing technologies to monitor land, marine (seas, rivers, lakes) and atmosphere. 

• Satellite-based Earth observation relies on the use of satellite-mounted payloads to gather imaging data about the Earth’s characteristics. 

• The images are then processed and analysed in order to extract different types of information that can serve a very wide range of applications and industries.

• These include urban area management, sustainable development and nature protection, regional and local planning, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, health, civil protection, infrastructure, transport and mobility, as well as tourism.

• This initiative is headed by the European Commission in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).

• ESA coordinates the delivery of data from upwards of 30 satellites. The European Commission, acting on behalf of the European Union, is responsible for the overall initiative, setting requirements and managing the services.

• ESA has developed a new family of satellites, called Sentinels, specifically for the operational needs of Copernicus.

Copernicus Sentinel-1C

• The Sentinel-1 mission, the first in the family of Copernicus, is based on a constellation of two identical satellites flying in the same orbit but 180° apart, to optimise global coverage and data delivery for Copernicus – the Earth observation component of the EU’s Space Program.

• It is designed as a two-satellite constellation. Each satellite carries an advanced radar instrument to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface.

• Sentinel-1A was the first satellite in the series, launched in April 2014, followed by the launch of Sentinel-1B in 2016. The Sentinel-1B mission came to an end in August 2022 after experiencing a technical fault that rendered it unable to acquire data. The satellite has been successfully de-orbited and will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within 25 years.

• Sentinel-1C, along with its sibling Sentinel-1A, will return the mission to its full potential as a two-satellite constellation. Sentinel-1A is then due to be replaced by Sentinel-1D later next year.

• Carrying advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of Earth’s surface, the ambitious Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has raised the bar for spaceborne radar. 

• Sentinel-1 carries a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument, which allows it to capture high-resolution imagery of Earth's surface.

• The satellite has the advantage of operating at wavelengths that are not obstructed by clouds or lack of illumination and therefore can acquire data during day or night under all weather conditions. 

• The applications are numerous and the images bring most valuable resources, for instance, for urban planners, for monitoring shifts from earthquakes, landslides or volcanic uplift. 

• SAR images are the best way of tracking land subsidence and structural damage.

• Sentinel-1C extends the legacy of its predecessors, delivering high-resolution radar imagery to monitor Earth’s changing environment, supporting a diverse range of applications and advancing scientific research. 

• Additionally, Sentinel-1C introduces new capabilities for detecting and monitoring maritime traffic.

• Sentinel-1C carries a new Automatic Identification System (AIS), developed by the International Maritime Organisation to help ships avoid collisions at sea. The combination of radar images and AIS signals improves the monitoring of global shipping traffic and can also help detect piracy and other illegal activities.  

• Designed and built by a consortium of more than 70 companies led by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space, it is an outstanding example of Europe’s technological excellence.

Vega-C

• Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2,300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. 

• At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of satellites into their desired orbit around Earth. 

• Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.

• ESA owns the Vega-C program, working with Avio as prime contractor and design authority. Arianespace was the launch service provider for Sentinel-1C.

• This launch marks Vega-C’s return to flight. 

• The first commercial flight in December 2022 failed due to a nozzle issue in its Zefiro-40 motor.

• Since then, an improved nozzle was designed and built and the complete Zefiro-40 stage has undergone two successful firing tests, in May and October 2024, which demonstrated the motor’s ability to perform reliably under different pressure conditions and burn duration. 

• These tests confirmed the motor’s readiness, and cleared the path for Vega-C’s flight with Sentinel-1C.

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