Arianespace successfully launched the last Vega rocket, delivering the Sentinel-2C satellite into orbit as part of the European Union’s Copernicus programme to monitor Earth’s environment. The launch occurred on Sept. 4 at 10:50 p.m. local time in French Guiana (0150 GMT on Sept. 5), marking the end of the Vega rocket’s 12-year service.
The small, single-body rocket, designed by Italy’s Avio, will be replaced by the upgraded Vega C, set to return later this year after a previous launch failure in December 2022.
Built by Airbus Defence & Space, Sentinel-2C will replace the Sentinel-2A satellite, focusing on monitoring deforestation, urban growth, and natural disasters such as wildfires and floods. The satellite is part of the Copernicus programme, the world’s largest environmental monitoring project, led by the European Commission and the European Space Agency.
The programme’s Sentinel satellites gather vital data on global conditions, including carbon dioxide levels, wave heights, and land and ocean temperatures. In 2022, images from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites revealed the devastating impact of drought in Italy’s Po Valley.
