Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.
Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.
| Year | Historical missions | Forecast launches |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 4 |
| 2027 | 0 | 5 |
| 2028 | 0 | 6 |
| 2029 | 0 | 6 |
| 2030 | 0 | 6 |
| 2031 | 0 | 6 |
| 2032 | 0 | 6 |
| 2033 | 0 | 6 |
| 2034 | 0 | 6 |
| 2035 | 0 | 6 |
| 2036 | 0 | 6 |
| 2037 | 0 | 6 |
| 2038 | 0 | 6 |
| 2039 | 0 | 6 |
Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.
| Variant | Orbit | Capacity | Altitude | Inclination | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vega C | LEO | 3,300 kg | Unknown | Unknown | ESA Vega-C page |
Vega C | LEO | 3,000 kg | 500 km | 5.2 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Latest launched missions using variants in this family.
| Mission | Variant | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| SMILE Mission | Vega C | May 19, 2026 |
| Kompsat-7 | Vega C | Dec 1, 2025 |
| CO3D/MicroCarb | Vega C | Jul 26, 2025 |
| Biomass Mission |
Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.
| Variant | Stages | Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Vega C | Not stated | 7 | Active |
Vega-C Block 2 | 4 | 0 | Development |
| 2040 | 0 | 6 |
| 2041 | 0 | 6 |
1 launch location represented.
| Year | Location | Launches | Confidence | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 4 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2027 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 5 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2028 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2029 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2030 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2031 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2032 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2033 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2034 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2035 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2036 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2037 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2038 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2039 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2040 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. |
| 2041 | Guiana Space Centre | Vega Launch Zone | 6 | 35% | Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization. Site-year coverage backfill copied n... |
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C | LEO | 2,560 kg | 700 km | 50 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | LEO | 2,550 kg | 500 km | 50 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | LEO | 2,470 kg | 500 km | 70 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | SSO | 2,423 kg | 500 km | 97.4 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | LEO | 2,410 kg | 700 km | 70 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | LEO | 2,350 kg | 500 km | 25 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | LEO | 2,340 kg | 700 km | 25 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | SSO | 2,300 kg | Unknown | Unknown | ESA Vega-C page |
Vega C | SSO | 2,266 kg | 700 km | 98.2 deg | Avio Vega C User's Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega C | SSO | 2,200 kg | 700 km | Unknown | CNES CSG Vega-C page |
Vega C | HEO | 2,200 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Avio Vega C User Manual Issue 1 Rev 0 |
Vega-C Block 2 | LEO | 600 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Space Launch Now Vega-C Block 2 / Space Rider |
Vega C |
| Apr 29, 2025 |
| Sentinel-1C Mission | Vega C | Dec 5, 2024 |
| Launch 2022-F06 | Vega C | Dec 21, 2022 |
| LARES 2 Mission | Vega C | Jul 13, 2022 |
Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.
| Mission | Variant | Announced |
|---|---|---|
No forecasted missionsNo upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family. | ||
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
Vega C cadence curve: conservative European small-launch steady state after return-to-flight and production normalization.
The SMILE Vega-C launch passed the qualification and flight acceptance review on November 20, 2025.
The Vega-C rocket is designed by Avio for scientific and institutional missions and is suitable for placing SMILE into its intended orbit.
The SMILE Vega-C launch will take place from the European spaceport in French Guiana between April 8 and May 7, 2026.
The VV28 launch of the Vega C launcher has been rescheduled to allow for additional preparation and finalization activities.
Urso expressed the need to enhance the launch frequency of European launch vehicles Ariane 6 and VEGA-C.
The signed arrangements mark an important step in the continued operation of Ariane 6 and Vega-C.
The other arrangement is with Avio for Vega-C.
The VV28 launch will be the final Vega-C launch of this year.
Arianespace announced the next Vega-C launch designated VV28.
On 28 November 2025, Vega C will launch South Korea's KOMPSAT-7 for KARI.
Urso highlighted the need to respect the agreements made at the ESA Ministerial meeting in Seville in 2023 regarding the Ariane 6 and VEGA-C launch vehicles.
The launch of the 2.3-tonne Sentinel-1D on a dedicated flight appeared excessive as its twin was launched on a Vega C rocket.
Arianespace's next launch will be Vega-C VV28, expected to launch at the end of the month and will carry KASA's KOMPSAT-7 satellite.
The Sentinel-1D satellite weighs 2,184 kilograms and is a twin of Sentinel-1C, which was launched aboard a Vega C rocket in December 2024.
Dal Zotto has supplied components for both Ariane 6 and Vega-C, but its involvement with the FD1 demonstrator has not been publicly confirmed.
Italy and France are collaborating on the Ariane 6 and VEGA-C launch vehicles.
Vega C is an operational small-lift rocket capable of delivering up to 2,300 kilograms to low Earth orbit.
At peak launch cadences, Ariane 6 and Vega C will account for approximately 14 flights per year.
Vega C's return to flight carried the Sentinel-1C Earth observation satellite for the European Union's Copernicus programme.
The Vega C launch system has been launched twice in 2024, with a third launch scheduled before the end of the year.