Arianespace announced that new shared payload opportunities for low Earth orbit (LEO) have been opened with its Vega launcher Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS). The next mission is already fully booked but more missions are in the planning. Longer-term opportunities include an SSMS mission to dawn-dusk low Earth orbit, and one to low Earth equatorial orbit. The Vega VV 19 launch is planned for the second quarter of next year, with payload slots available for nanosat and CubeSat deployers. The Vega C flight is scheduled for the fourth quarter, for any smallsats.
The VV 19 satellite will aim for one altitude of 550-610 km, with a piggyback service, while the Vega C will target three altitudes of 500-640 km, with a rideshare service.
Five companies have signed contracts for payload slots for the Vega Flight VV18, with launch targeted in the first quarter of 2021. This mission has therefore been booked to capacity.
The initial SSMS launch with Vega, Flight VV16, was performed in September. This inaugural SSMS launch was supported by the European Space Agency and the European Union, deploying over 50 satellites for 21 commercial and institutional customers.
With SSMS, Arianespace can provide a regular launch service for small satellites (mass under 400 kg). The company said customers will benefit from the payload carrying systems available on the current Vega and the enhanced Vega C version, as well as the new small spacecraft preparation and integration facilities in Europe that complement existing installations at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.
