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Vega C | Flight VV29 | SMILE | Avio

On 19 May 2026 at 00:52 a.m. local time (03:52 UTC, 05:52 CEST), Avio will launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) and Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (Smile) scientific satellite. The mission, designated “VV29”, will be carried out by a Vega-C launcher, the first …

Vega C | Vol VV29 | SMILE | Avio

Le 19 mai 2026 à 0 h 52, heure locale (03 h 52 UTC, 05 h 52 CEST), Avio procédera au lancement du satellite scientifique Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), mission conjointe de l’ESA et de la CAS. Le vol, désigné « VV29 », sera réalisé par un …

Vega C | Volo VV29 | SMILE | Avio

Il 19 maggio 2026 alle 00:52 ora locale (03:52 UTC, 05:52 CEST), Avio lancerà il satellite scientifico Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (Smile) dell’ESA e la CAS. Il volo, denominato “VV29” sarà effettuato da un lanciatore Vega-C, per la prima volta operato da Avio, che decollerà dal Centro Spaziale …

Launch Kit VV29

Launch Kit VV29

Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Elliptical Orbit
Mission: Astrophysics

Elliptical Orbit Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana VV29

Joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to investigate the interaction between Earth’s protective shield – the magnetosphere – and the supersonic solar wind.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • May 19, 2026, 4:52 a.m.

Launch success with spacecraft acquisition & solar panels deployment.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 19, 2026, 4:49 a.m.

Spacecraft separation.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 19, 2026, 3:52 a.m.

Liftoff.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 19, 2026, 3:33 a.m.

Tweaked T-0.


LL2 • May 19, 2026, 3:29 a.m.

Official Webcast by European Space Agency, ESA has started


Vega-C

Family:
Configuration:

Vega-C is a single-body rocket nearly 35 m high with that weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad. As with Vega, its main elements are three solid-propellant stages, an upper stage powered by a reignitable liquid-propellant engine and a payload fairing. Vega-C's P120C first stage replaces Vega’s smaller P80 to provide a significant increase in thrust at liftoff. It is also used as boosters (2 or 4) for the Ariane 6 rocket.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    4
  • Length
    34.8 m
  • Diameter
    3.0 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.3 m
  • Launch Mass
    210.0 T
  • Thrust
    2974.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Vega-C
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Vega-C
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $48000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    3300.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    2230.0 kg

Avio S.p.A

Avio S.p.A

(Avio)

CEO: Giulio Ranzo Founded: 1908 Successes: 1 Failures: 0 Pending: 24

Agency Type:

Avio S.p.A. is an Italian company operating in the aerospace sector with its head office in Colleferro near Rome, Italy. Founded in 1908, it is present in Italy and abroad with different commercial offices and 10 production sites.

INFO WIKI

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