Arianespace will launch the EU’s Copernicus EO Sentinel-1C satellite

This mission will provide crucial environmental data for the planet, while also carrying out Arianespace’s commitment of guaranteeing Europe’s independent access to space. Sentinel-1C is the 6th Sentinel satellite launched by Arianespace. This VV25 mission will mark the return-to-flight of the Vega C launcher.

Arianespace’s next mission is scheduled for Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, at 6:20 p.m. local time (9:20 p.m. UTC, 10:20 p.m. CEST), from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, with a Vega C launcher. The VV25 mission will place its passenger, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite, into SSO at an altitude of around 700 km. Spacecraft separation will occur 1 hour and 43 minutes after lift-off.

Sentinel-1C is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Space program Earth Observation (EO) component. Copernicus provides continuous, free, and reliable EO data and services to public authorities, companies and citizens around the globe. The program, managed by the European Commission, is funded by the European Union with a contribution of ESA.

The Sentinel-1 radar imaging mission is composed of a constellation of two polar-orbiting satellites providing continuous all-weather, day and night imagery for land and maritime monitoring. C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging 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.

Sentinel-1 delivers radar imagery for numerous applications. SAR images are the best way of tracking land subsidence and structural damage: systematic observations and enhanced interferometric capabilities make ground movement barely noticeable in everyday life detectable and closely monitorable. As well as being a valuable resource for urban planners, this type of information is essential for monitoring shifts from earthquakes, landslides and volcanic uplift. Moreover, it helps geohazard monitoring, mining, geology and city planning through subsidence risk assessment.

Thales Alenia Space is the prime contractor of Sentinel-1C which arrived in French Guiana on October 8th, 2024. During the launch campaign, the satellite will undergo a precise series of pre-launch tests in preparation for its lift-off, leading to the Launch Readiness Review (LRR) planned on December 2nd, 2024. The successful completion of the LRR triggers the approval for proceeding to the launch chronology.

Before the upcoming launch of Sentinel-1C, Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-1B, Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-2C were successfully launched by Arianespace. The VV25 mission once again highlights Arianespace’s commitment to space for a better life on Earth, as well as ensuring Europe’s independent access to space.

This VV25 mission will mark the return-to-flight of the Vega C launcher. The Vega C launcher has been upgraded with more powerful first and second stage Solid Rocket Motors, bigger AVUM tanks and with a larger fairing that significantly increase payload mass (up to 2,350t in SSO – Sun-Synchronous Orbit) and double allowable volume.

The launcher also better meets the specific needs of small spacecraft, thanks to its improved SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service) dispenser and to its AVUM+ motor that will allow seven re-ignitions. Vega C can thus deliver its payloads on three different orbits on the same mission, instead of the two previously possible with Vega.

ESA is responsible for the Vega C launch system qualification and is the contracting authority for the development of Vega C, a program carried out with participation of 13 ESA Member States. Avio Spa (Colleferro, Italy) is the prime contractor and design authority of the Vega C launchers, delivering a ready to lift-off launcher to Arianespace, which will remain its operator up to Vega/Vega C Flight 29 (VV29).

The first generation in the Vega family was launched in 2012 and flew 22 times, with a successful final flight on September 4th with Sentinel-2C on board.