Vega-C Lifts off with Sentinel-1C Earth Satellite | European Space Agency

Vega-C Lifts off with Sentinel-1C Earth Satellite | European Space Agency

On December 5, 2024, the mobile building surrounding the Vega-C rocket with Earth-observer Sentinel-1C was rolled back at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, setting the rocket up for launch to a sun-synchronous orbit.

Vega-C on the launch pad with Earth-observer Sentinel-1C at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, 5 December 2024.

View of Vega-C rocket, flight VV25, looking up on the launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, December 4, 2024.

Following Sentinel-1C encapsulation inside the Vega-C rocket fairing, the team at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou has signed the sticker on the rocket as per tradition.

The third Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite, Sentinel-1C, has launched aboard a Vega-C rocket, flight VV25, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on December 5, 2024, at 22:20 CET (18:20 local time).

Sentinel-1C extends the legacy of its predecessors, delivering high-resolution radar imagery to monitor Earth’s changing environment, supporting a diverse range of applications and advance scientific research. Additionally, Sentinel-1C introduces new capabilities for detecting and monitoring maritime traffic.

The launch also marks Vega-C’s ‘return to flight’, a key step in restoring Europe’s independent access to space. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.

Learn more about the European Space Agency's Copernicus Earth Observation Programme:
https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/copernicus/

Credits: ESA–M. Pédoussaut/S. Corvaj/CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG-P.Piperot
Image Dates: Dec. 4-5, 2024

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