Vega flight VV16

Vega flight VV16, also called SSMS PoC Flight (for Small Spacecraft Mission Service Proof of Concept Flight), will be the 16th launch of the Vega rocket.[2][3]

Vega flight VV16
CNES CSG sticker artwork
Vega launch
Launch28 June 2020 (2020-06-28), 01:51:10 UTC[1]
OperatorArianespace
PadKourou ELV
Payload53 satellites
OutcomePlanned
Vega launches

Payload

This first low Earth orbit rideshare commercial flight for 21 customers from 13 countries will embark 53 satellites arranged in the modular SSMS dispenser.[2]

Of these 53 satellites, 7 weigh between 15 kg and 150 kg, and the other 46 are smaller CubeSats (between 0.25U and 6U):[2]

Payload configuration
Name Mass Orbit Lifetime Owner Manufacturer Application Notes
ATHENA 138 kg515 km SSO2 yearsPointView (Facebook)Maxar TechnologiesTelecommunication[4][5][6]
GHGSat-C1 15.4 kg515 km SSO3 yearsGHGSatSFLRemote sensing
NEMO-HD 65 kg515 km SSO3-5 yearsSpace-SISFL with Space-SIRemote sensing
UPMSat-2 45 kg515 km SSO2 yearsIRD-UPMIRD-UPMTech. demo.
ESAIL 112 kg515 km SSO4 yearsExactEarthLuxSpaceRemote sensing
ION CubeSat Carrier 150 kg515 km SSO4 yearsPlanet LabsD-OrbitTech. demo.Contains 12 CubeSats.
NewSat-6 43.5 kg515 km SSO3-4 yearsSatellogicSatellogicRemote sensing
SpaceBEE 10-21 530 km SSOSwarm TechnologySwarm TechnologyTelecommunication12 CubeSats (0.25U)
Flock-4v 1-14 530 km SSOPlanet LabsPlanet LabsRemote sensing14 CubeSats (3U)
LEMUR-2 112-119 530 km SSOSPIRE GlobalSPIRE GlobalTelecommunication8 CubeSats (3U)
³Cat-5 /A and /B 530 km SSOUPC and ESADeimos and TyvakRemote sensing2 CubeSats (6U)
DIDO-3 530 km SSOSpacePharmaSpacePharmaResearch1 CubeSat (3U)
PICASSO-BE 530 km SSOESABIRA-IASBRemote sensing1 CubeSat (3U)
SIMBA 530 km SSOESAKMI-IRMRemote sensing1 CubeSat (3U)
TRISAT 530 km SSOUniversity of MariborSkyLabsRemote sensing1 CubeSat (3U)
TTÜ-100 530 km SSOTalTechTalTechRemote sensing1 CubeSat (2U)
AMICal Sat 530 km SSOCSUG and MSUCSUG and SatRevolutionRemote sensing1 CubeSat (1U)
NAPA-1 530 km SSORoyal Thai Air ForceISISpaceRemote sensing1 CubeSat (6U)
TARS-1 530 km SSOKepler CommunicationsÅAC Clyde SpaceTelecommunication1 CubeSat (6U)
Tyvak-0171 530 km SSO(undisclosed)Tyvak(undisclosed)1 CubeSat (6U)
OSM-1 Cicero 530 km SSOOrbital SolutionsTyvakRemote sensing1 CubeSat (6U)

Flight

The flight was initially scheduled to take place on 19 June 2020 at 01:51:10 UTC (18 June 2020 at 22:51:10 local time) but got postponed twice due to unfavourable high-altitude winds.[7][8] It will take place from the ELV launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana.[2]

It will deploy all satellites into 2 slightly different Sun-synchronous orbits: the 7 heaviest satellites will be separated at an altitude of roughly 515 km (starting 40 minutes and 25 seconds until 52 minutes and 35 seconds after liftoff), before the upper stage is re-ignited to place the 46 lightest satellites at an altitude of approximately 530 km (starting 1 hour 42 minutes and 16 seconds until 1 hour 44 minutes and 56 seconds after liftoff).[2]

See also

References
  1. Clark, Stephen (23 June 2020). "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  2. "Vega flight VV16 launch kit" (PDF). arianespace.com. Arianespace. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  3. "Rideshare service for light satellites to launch on Vega". www.esa.int. European Space Agency. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  4. Krebs, Gunter. "Athena". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  5. "PointView Public Summary" (PDF). NOAA. Retrieved 17 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. "PointView Tech LLC Experimental License FCC Filings". FCC Report. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 17 June 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. "Flight VV16: Vega – SSMS PoC Flight – Launch delay due to weather conditions". Arianespace. Arianespace. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  8. "Vega Flight VV16 – the SSMS PoC mission – New postponement due to weather conditions". Arianespace. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
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