Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Flight VV18 – Pléiades Neo 3 / NorSat-3 / 4 cubesats | Vega Launch | Arianespace

On Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 10:50 pm local time (01:50 UTC on Thursday, April 29), a Vega launch vehicle operated by Arianespace lifted off successfully from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spac...

Pléiades Neo 3

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Pléiades Neo is a constellation of four optical high-resolution Earth observation satellites built and operated by Airbus. It is a dual purpose constellation, serving both civilian and military purposes. Pléiades Neo 3 is the first satellite in the constellation which is to deliver imagery with spatial resolution of 30 cm. It is launched along with several rideshare payloads.

Updates

Nosu • April 29, 2021, 3:40 a.m.

Successful launch


spacevogel • April 23, 2021, 1:50 p.m.

Launch date is confirmed by Arianespace.


Nosu • April 13, 2021, 8:47 p.m.

Launch is now planned for Apr 28


spacevogel • April 8, 2021, 5:47 a.m.

Launch is now planned for Apr 27


spacevogel • March 31, 2021, 10:49 a.m.

The countdown on Airbus website points to a Apr 20 01:50 UTC launch time.


Vega

Family:
Configuration:

Vega is the smallest lifter in the current Arianespace family.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    4
  • Length
    29.9 m
  • Diameter
    3.025 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    2.6 m
  • Launch Mass
    137.0 T
  • Thrust
    2974.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Vega
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Vega
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $37000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    1500.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    1450.0 kg

Avio S.p.A

Avio S.p.A

(Avio)

CEO: Giulio Ranzo Founded: 1908 Successes: 0 Failures: 0 Pending: 17

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

Related News

Spaceflight Now

“Big relief” as Europe’s Vega rocket returns to service with successful launch

A European Vega rocket deployed six commercial satellites in orbit, including a new Airbus-built eye-in-the-sky for high-resolution Earth-imaging, on a successful launch from French Guiana on Wednesday night after two of the last three Veg…

SpaceNews

Vega return to flight creates competition for 30-centimeter satellite imagery

Europe’s small launch vehicle Vega returned to flight April 28, carrying a next-generation imaging satellite for Airbus Defence and Space that has been held back by multiple delays.

Spaceflight Now

Vega rocket’s return-to-flight launch set for Wednesday night

Six satellites are set to ride a light-class European Vega rocket into orbit from French Guiana on Wednesday night, the first Vega launch since a failure last year that officials attributed to human error.

NASA Spaceflight

Arianespace launches Vega’s return to flight with rideshare mission

After a five month grounding, Vega returned to flight following a launch failure in November 2020 — the rocket’s second in as many years.  For its 18th mission, Vega launched the Pléiades-Neo 3 satellite along with several smaller rideshar…

SpaceNews

Vega rocket passes readiness review for April return to flight

Avio spokesperson Francesco Delorenzo told SpaceNews that Vega was cleared for the upcoming Vega VV18 mission during a March 3 flight readiness review.

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)


New Shepard
Success
9 hours, 49 minutes ago
NS-37
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA

NS-37 is the 16th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 37th in the New Shepard program's history.


Long March 5
Success
11 hours, 34 minutes ago
TJSW-23
101 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Electron
Success
2 days, 19 hours ago
Don't Be Such A Square (STP-S30)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C) - Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

STP-S30 is a complex mission that will deliver research experiments and technology demonstrations to orbit for the DoD and contribute to future space…


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 8 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-13
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 10 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-99
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Ariane 62
Success
3 days, 19 hours ago
Galileo L14 (FOC FM33 & FM34)
Ariane Launch Area 4 - Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Payload consists of two satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation system.


Atlas V 551
Success
4 days, 15 hours ago
Amazon Leo (LA-04)
Space Launch Complex 41 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, thi…


Long March 4B
Success
4 days, 20 hours ago
Ziyuan-3-04
Launch Complex 9 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The ZY-3 (Ziyuan-3, 'Resource-3') series represents China's first high-resolution, stereoscopic mapping satellites for civilian use. The second sa…


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 18 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-82
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 18 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-12
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.