Europe’s Vega rocket launches in French Guiana

Europe’s Vega rocket launched Wednesday from French Guiana, an AFP journalist said, carrying a satellite which will help combat natural disasters.

Delayed by a day due to “electrical issues on the ground links”, according to French firm Arianespace, the launch in Kourou finally took place at 10:50 pm (0150 GMT Thursday).

“Successful lift-off for the last Vega mission from Europe’s spaceport,” the Guiana Space Centre wrote on social media platform X.

The rocket is transporting the Sentinel-2C satellite, part of the European Union’s Copernicus programme.

Sentinel-2C will play a role in water quality monitoring and detecting methane emissions.

The satellite will also support the management of natural disasters such as forest fires, earthquakes and floods.

The mission will be the last for the Vega rocket, built by Italian aerospace company Avio and in service since 2012.

It is due to be replaced by the more powerful Vega-C, which has been grounded since 2022 following an accident which caused the loss of two Airbus satellites. (BSS/AFP)