Flight VV09 | Vega Best of Liftoff | Arianespace

Continuing Vega’s track record of success, Arianespace’s ninth flight with the lightweight launcher delivered Europe’s Sentinel-2B Earth observation satellite to orbit tonight during a mission performed from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

This was the ninth consecutive on-target launch with Vega since its introduction at the Spaceport in February 2012, and marked Arianespace’s third liftoff so far in 2017 – during which the company is targeting up to 12 missions with its launcher family composed of Vega along with the medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5.

Tonight’s Sentinel-2B payload is a part of the satellite system being deployed in the European Commission’s Copernicus program to provide Europe with continuous, independent and reliable access to Earth observation data.

Sentinel-2B is the fourth Copernicus program satellite orbited by Arianespace, following the successful launch of Sentinel-1A on a Soyuz in April 2014, the lofting of Sentinel-2A aboard a Vega in June 2015, and the deployment of Sentinel-1B by a Soyuz in April 2016.

► Arianespace is the world’s leading satellite launch company. Founded in 1980, it deploys a family of three launchers – Ariane, Soyuz and Vega – to meet the needs of commercial and government customers.

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