Colleferro (Rome), 1 December 2025  – Vega C has successfully completed the VV28 flight, putting in orbit the KOMPSAT-7 (KOrea Multi-Purpose SATellite-7) for the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Vega C lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at 02.21 PM Kourou time (06.21 PM Rome time). The rocket performed flawlessly. After two burns, the AVUM+ upper stage released the payload 44 minutes after liftoff in a Sun-Synchronous orbit at an altitude of 576 km. 

• ArianeGroup and Avio have concluded a major contract for the production of Ariane 6 items up to 2029, including P120/P160 boosters and oxygen turbopumps;
• Europropulsion, the JV co-owned by ArianeGroup and Avio, integrates and supplies P160C solid rocket motors to Ariane Group throughout the stabilized exploitation phase of Ariane 6 and Vega C;
• The commercial agreement also covers the mutual supply of components and equipment for ArianeGroup’s Ariane 6 and Avio’s Vega C launchers.

• Representatives from the European Space Agency (ESA) signed the arrangement for the exploitation of Ariane 6 with ArianeGroup, and Arianespace, and the arrangement with Avio for the exploitation of Vega-C.

Colleferro (Rome), April 29th 2025 – The Vega-C VV26 flight has successfully launched the Biomass satellite for the European Space Agency (ESA).

During the European Space Conference currently taking place in Brussels, Avio signed a trilateral agreement with Arianespace and the European Commission for the transfer of the Copernicus Framework Contract on Vega C from Arianespace to Avio.

At the same time, Avio has signed an amendment to add one additional Copernicus satellite launch to the Framework Contract in replacement of the Sentinel 1D, which will be launched by Ariane 6. 

Avio S.p.A., a leading European rocket manufacturer and launch services provider, and BULL Co., Ltd., a Japanese start-up developing a space debris prevention device, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to study the implementation of an innovative space debris prevention device onboard the Vega C launcher.

Paris, December 18th 2024 – Today ESA signed multiple contracts with Avio to advance the development of its next-generation launcher, Vega-E, and to increase the number of flights per year of the Vega-C rocket.

Two contracts were signed between ESA and Avio, amounting to approximately EUR 350 million and covering a three-year time horizon:

Paris, December 18th 2024 – Today marked an historical step for Avio as a new European Launch Service Provider.

ESA signed today with Avio a frame contract for the procurement of launch services for the benefit of future agency’s missions and a first Work Order for the launch of the FORUM Earth observation mission. 

Colleferro (Rome), December 6, 2024 – Vega C successfully launched the Sentinel-1C Earth Observation Satellite, a dedicated mission for the European Commission Copernicus Program. The payload was put into a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 700 kilometers 1 hour and 43 minutes after lift-off.

Colleferro (Rome), December 4, 2024 – Due to a mechanical issue preventing the withdrawal of the mobile gantry, the launch chronology has been stopped.

The earliest targeted launch date is planned for tomorrow Thursday 5 December 2024, at 10:20 PM CET (6:20 PM local time in Kourou).

The launcher and its passenger the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite are in stable and safe conditions.