9 Payloads for first VEGA flight
Date: Tue, Feb 07, 2012 | 07:30 - 07:45 GMT | 08:30 - 08:45 CET
Type: ESA TV Exchange
Format: 16:9
The first qualification Vega flight from its new launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana is scheduled to take place on 13 February.
This maiden voyage is meant to qualify not only the newly built VEGA launch pad but also the different elements of this new launcher and of course what is the objective of all this: the delivery of satellites on orbit.
Indeed it will be a multiple-passenger: 9 payloads in total, for scientific or educational missions.
Making up the primary payload for this inaugural flight are two Italian satellites: LARES and ALMaSat-1, thanks to the collaboration between the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
Also flying are seven nanosatellites, called CubeSat, developed by universities from ESA member- or cooperating states, in the framework of ESA Education programme.
More background information can be found on: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Vega/index.html
Satellite Parameters: Reception Parameters for 4.8 degrees East Satellite Sirius 4 Transponder B28 Centre Frequency 12245.340 MHz Polarisation Offset 0 degrees Polarisation State Vertical FEC Rate 3/4*188/204 Symbolrate 27.5 Megasymbols/s