Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Flight VV20 – CERES | Vega Launch | Arianespace

On November 16, Arianespace successfully carried out its 20th Vega launch (VV20), its 12th launch of the year and the third with the Vega light launcher. It was also the 300th launch by Arianespace fr...

[REPLAY] VV20 CERES Launch on 2021/11/16

Vega orbited CERES, 3 CERES Earth observation satellites for French defense applications. Launch on 2021/11/16 at 10:27 AM (Paris time). https://ceres.cnes.fr/en/ceres-launch

Vega Flight VV20

Arianespace’s twelfth launch of 2021 with the third Vega of the year will place its satellite passengers into Sun-synchronous orbit. The launcher will be carrying a total payload of approximately 1548 kg. The launch will be performed in Kourou, French Guiana.

CERES

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Low Earth Orbit Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

CERES (CapacitÉ de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale) is a space-based signal intelligence (SIGNIT) system consisting of three satellites constellation.

Updates

scottm3 • Nov. 16, 2021, 10:28 a.m.

Mission successful via webcast host and arianespace


Nosu • Nov. 9, 2021, 3:05 p.m.

Launch time confirmed by the Guiana Space Centre.


Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 3, 2021, 4:29 a.m.

New launch date.


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 31, 2021, 8:20 a.m.

Added launch date and 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: 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

Related News

Spaceflight Now

French military intelligence satellites launch on Vega rocket

A European Vega rocket fired into space from French Guiana Tuesday and deployed three French military satellites to locate sources of radio and radar transmissions around the world, clearing the way for final modifications on the Vega laun…

NASA Spaceflight

Arianespace Vega launches CERÉS satellites for CNES

Arianespace’s Vega rocket is set to launch on its third mission of the year with the Capacité de Renseignement Électromagnétique Spatiale (CERÉS) 1, 2, and 3 satellites for the French space agency Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES).…

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)


Kuaizhou 11
Success
16 hours, 48 minutes ago
8 satellites
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Ride-share launch of 8 satellites to sun-synchronous orbit. Details TBD.


Long March 6A
Success
1 day, 7 hours ago
Yaogan 50-02
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 50-02 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 8 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-48
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
3 days, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-31
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
3 days, 22 hours ago
Shiyan 30 03-04
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

A pair of Chinese satellites reported to be for "Earth observation technological testing and validation" purposes. Actual usage not known.


Long March 8A
Success
4 days, 1 hour ago
SatNet LEO Group 20
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Firefly Alpha
Success
4 days, 20 hours ago
Stairway to Seven
Space Launch Complex 2W - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Firefly Alpha's Flight 7 is a test flight and return-To-Flight for the launch vehicle after its April 2025 launch failure. It will test and validate …


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 16 hours ago
EchoStar 25
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

EchoStar 25 is a direct broadcast satellite, built on the proven Maxar 1300 series platform, which will deliver content across North America. It will…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 17-18
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Insight At Speed Is A Friend Indeed (BlackSky Gen-3 4)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Note: Payload and customer identities were not publicly announced. 4th of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.