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 Vega-C launcher is designed to deliver government, commercial, and science payloads weighing up to 2,200 kg to sun-synchronous orbit.
The European Space Agency’s goal for Vega-C is to support the same or greater mission objectives as the original Vega at a reduced cost.
THEOS-2 is manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space for the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand and is a Vega C customer payload.
Six cubesats were deployed from Vega C about 45 minutes after LARES-2 separation.
Formosat-7R is manufactured by NSPO for Taiwan and is contracted as a Vega C commercial mission.
Vega C Flight VV22 is planned for November 2022.
The Vega C development program is managed by the European Space Agency and associates 12 ESA Member States.
PLATiNO 2 is developed by SITAEL for the Italian Space Agency and is an institutional mission for Vega C.
CSG 3 is developed by Thales Alenia Space for the benefit of the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defense and is an institutional mission for Vega C.
Arianespace launched the first Vega C rocket from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on Wednesday, 2022-07-13 at 10:13 a.m. local time.
Vega C is designed and manufactured by Avio SpA in Colleferro, Italy.
The four-stage Vega C rocket launched from Kourou, French Guiana at 9:13 a.m. Eastern at the end of a two-hour launch window.
Vega C Flight VV22 will orbit Pléiades Neo 5 and Pléiades Neo 6, two additional satellites joining Airbus’ Pléiades constellation.
Vega C’s first stage is powered by a P120 engine that will also be used by Europe’s upcoming Ariane 6 launcher.
The inaugural Vega-C flight launched the LARES 2 Laser Relativity satellite built by OHB Italia for the Italian space agency ASI.
Beyond Gravity developed a new onboard computer for Vega-C that is smaller, lighter, and more cost-efficient, and that computer is built at Beyond Gravity’s site in Gothenburg.
Vega C is more than two years behind schedule, with its first flight originally planned to take place by the end of 2019.
There are 14 Vega C launches on the vehicle manifest through 2025, including five in 2023 and four each in 2024 and 2025.
Vega C is counting down to its maiden flight around 2022-07-07 and is slated to replace the retiring Vega rocket.
FORUM is scheduled to launch on a Vega-C launcher from Kourou, French Guiana, in 2027.