New Rocket - Vega Launch Successful

[Caruso]

The ESA has successfully launched it's Vega rocket for the 1st time. This is a 4 stage rocket, with 3 solid fuel stages and a 4th restartable liquid fuelled stage for orbital insertion. It also has an electro-mechanical steered nozzle rather than hydraulically powered steering making it cheaper and lighter. It can lift only 2.5MT to LEO, so for small (unmanned) payloads only.

Video here:
http://spaceflightnow.com/vega/vv01/launchvideo.ht...
It cleared the tower pretty quick compared to the heavy launchers! More like the converted Russian ICBMs it's intended to replace.

[LordGrover]

Vega? Is that some kind or recursive joke on Voyager and ST?

[Eric Mc]

Solid fueled rockets always leap off the pad compared to liquid fueled rockets. I always remember the first ever Shuttle launch in 1981, I was completely taken by surprise at how fast the whole assembly left the pad - especially compared to a Saturn I or Saturn V.

[blueg33]

Wow that is quite quick!

Velocity at the end of the vid is 5.5km/sec ie 3.4 miles per second or 12,240 mph

This is quite fast! Even just a few seconds in it is doing 3900 mph

[Eric Mc]

Which is why they are not REALLY the best for human spaceflight (although the Shuttle's overall G loading wasn't too bad).

[Simpo Two]

Caruso said:

It cleared the tower pretty quick compared to the heavy launchers!

That's when someone looks round and sees the satellite still packed in bubblewrap on the table. Arse!

[Hooli]

LordGrover said:

Vega? Is that some kind or recursive joke on Voyager and ST?