VEGA

SATELLITE
LAUNCHER
SPACE

AVIO IN SPACE WITH

VEGA LAUNCHER
Avio strengthened its presence in the space sector through its
ELV subsidiary, a company jointly owned by Avio with a 70%
share and the Italian Space Agency with a 30% share. Since
its establishment, ELV has continued to grow both in terms of
turnover and number of employees.

ELV is the prime contractor for the Vega launcher, which

received its go ahead from the European Space Agency (ESA) in
December 2000. Twelve years later, on Monday 13 February
2012, at 10am, Vega successfully completed its maiden flight
from the European Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
The new launcher successfully placed nine scientific and
research satellite into orbit, making Vega a great success
for both Avio and the over 40 companies that contributed to
the project.
Avio is currently working on the production of the first five
launch vehicles as part of the European Space Agency’s VERTA
programme, signed in September 2010. ELV is the lead desi-
gner for the launch vehicle, also acting as systems integrator.
ELV manages Vega’s industrial supply chain, which includes
companies from seven European countries. 65% of Vega
is developed and manufactured in Italy, and the remaining
35% is made in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzer-
land, Sweden and France. ELV draws on Avio’s heritage
in the technology and manufacturing sectors, achieved
through initiatives sponsored by the Italian Space Agency
and the Italian Ministry of Defence, such as SCOUT (1990),
launched from the San Marco Range in Malindi, Kenya, and
the IRIS upper stage, which was successfully launched in
the space shuttle.
Vega launcher’s main characteristics
Vega is the ESA’s satellite launch vehicle to send small satel-
lite into Low Earth Orbit. It provides great flexibility of mis-
sion for an affordable cost. Vega can carry up to six payloads
at a time in any orbit up to 1,500 km (reference performance
is 1,500 kg at a circular polar orbit of 700 km). Vega is a four-
stage vehicle powered primarily through solid propulsion.
It is integrated with the Ariane LV family. It is 30m high and
weighs 137 tonnes at liftoff. It hosts a payload dynamic enve-
lope of 2.3 m diameter and 3.5 m height as well as an additio-
nal conical volume of 2.8 m in height.

Vega Performance
2350 Requirement:
1500 Kg in a 700 Km
circular polar orbit
Payload Mass (Kg)

2100

1850

1600 300 Km
500 Km
1350 700 Km
1100
1200 Km
850 1500 Km Vega’s propulsion
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Orbit Inclination (degrees) The launcher’s first three stages are manufactured using advan-
ced technologies which deliver high performance at a lower cost.
The engine cases, made of strong graphite fibre and epoxy re-
sin, provide significant savings compared to conventional metal
cases. The first stage motor case is produced using filament-
Vega Guidance, Navigation (VGN) and Control winding manufacturing devised for large diameters (3 m) and
lengths (10 m), never before used in Europe. The P80 engine is
Thanks to the, Navigation and Control algorithms in Vega’s another example of how this technology can be applied to solid-
on-board computer, the launcher can go into the atmosphere propellant boosters of Ariane 5 launchers, creating important
autonomously despite disturbances. It can initiate ignition and synergies between Vega and Ariane 5.
separation of the successive stages and finally put the satelli- Vega holds two technological world records: the first stage engi-
tes into orbit with the required accuracy. The ELV team’s skills ne, the P80, is the largest single launcher engine ever built made
of range from the development of algorithms to software and of carbon fibre (3 m diameter, 10 m length), while the third stage
hardware tests. engine, Zefiro 9, is the most efficient solid propulsion launcher
engine in terms of performance.
The fourth stage is a liquid-propulsion system: a bipropellant
system using storable fuel, unsymmetrical di-methyl hydrazine
(UDMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (NTO). The LPS uses the YUZHNO-
YE RD869 engine as its main engine (ME), which is capable of at
least five ignitions during a nominal flight with a single payload
(three ignitions were demonstrated during Vega’s maiden flight).
The new industrial plant dedicated to Vega’s propulsion systems,
with a surface area of 7,000 m2, and a height 22 m, is an impor-
tant investment for Avio. The plant is dedicated to manufacturing
the engine casing and thermal protection for the three solid pro-
pulsion engines, the P80, Zefiro 23 and Zefiro 9. State-of-the-art
machinery specifically designed for the P80 motor case applies
filament-winding technology.
Engine testing
The three solid rocket engines have been successfully tested. The
third stage Zefiro 9 and second stage Zefiro 23 were tested respec-
tively in December 2005 and June 2006 in Sardinia’s Military Te-
sting Range, PISQ, at Salto di Quirra. The first stage P80 engine
test was completed in November 2006 at the Kourou Space Centre
French Guiana.
Qualification phase began with a second engine test for the Zefiro
9 in March 2007. The second P80 test was successfully completed
in December 2007, while the second Z23 test was carried out in
March 2008 and the second Zefiro 9 test was completed in Octo-
ber 2008. The AVUM propulsion module was also tested during the
propulsion system test campaign, at Astrium’s facilities in Lam-
poldahusen, Germany, in November 2008. It was concluded suc-
cessfully in April 2009. Main characteristics of Vega’s propulsion
system
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
stage stage stage stage
P80FW Zefiro23 Zefiro9 AVUM
Motor length (m) 11.7 7.5 3.5 1.7
Diameter (m) 3 1.9 1.9 2.31
Propellant mass (tons) 88 24 10.5 0.55
Motor dry mass (kg) 7,330 1,950 915 131
Motor case mass (kg) 3,260 900 400 16
Average thrust (kN) 2,200 871 260 2.42
Specific impulse (s) 280 287.5 296 315.5
Combustion time (s) 110 77 120 6,672
Design leader Avio Avio Avio ELV
VEGA LAUNCHER SPACE

NEW PROGRAMMES: WORK IN PROGRESS

Lyra programme
The Lyra programme, financed by the Italian Space Agency, re- With regards design, Vega’s evolved launcher will be even more fle-
searches the potential evolution of the Vega launcher in order to xible and versatile, extending Vega’s market from 50% of accessible
achieve a 30% increase in satellite loads of up to 2,000 kg in LEO of LEO satellites to up to 90% with a consistent part covered by dual P/L
700 km. Avio will pursue performance increases through the sub- launch. During the strategic planning for Vega, evolution-enabling
stitution of the third and AVUM stage with an innovative LOX/LHC technologies were identified focusing on performance improvement
liquid propulsion system. This new engine, called Mira, will have a through to cost reduction, payload comfort and the consolidation
thrust of approximately 10 tonnes and will use an expanded cycle. of ELV system integration capabilities within the Europe’s industry.
During the Lyra programme, a full scale demonstrator of this new
cryogenic propulsion system was produced and tested. Innovative
GNC algorithms were developed and tested as part of Lyra. Future Launcher Preparatory
Programme (FLPP)
Evolution of Vega ELV participates in the FLPP, an ESA programme which began
in February 2004 aimed at developing a next-generation
ELV aims to develop Vega and its technologies to consolidate its po- launcher (NGL) . The programme’s goal is to be operational by
sition as a system integrator for the development and operation of around 2020. Within the programme, ELV has the responsibility
launch vehicles for small satellites and to be able to find adequate to research Medium Class Launchers in the two to six tonne
solutions for market challenges ahead. Through its evolution, Vega range, able to carry P/Ls into GTO orbit in a cost-effective way.
will be able to increase its financial competitiveness and launch ELV will also be involved in the specifications of innovative
performance through the implementation of cost reduction activi- technologies to be applied on NGLs, looking at the reliability
ties, systems architecture, design and supply chain rationalisation. and competitiveness of European launchers.

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