Vega flight VV09

Vega flight VV09

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Vega launch
Launch	7 March 2017 (2017-03-07), 01:49:24 UTC
Operator	Arianespace
Pad	Kourou ELV
Payload	Sentinel-2B
Outcome	Success
Vega launches
← VV08 VV10 →

Vega flight VV09 was the launch of the Sentinel-2B satellite by the 9th Vega launcher.

Payload[]

The only payload of the flight was the Sentinel-2B multispectral Earth observation satellite. The total payload mass was approximately 1,208 kilograms (2,663 lb), including the satellite and its adapter. The twin of Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-2B is increasing the coverage and capacity of the European Commission's Copernicus Programme. It had a mass at liftoff of approximately 1,130 kilograms (2,490 lb) and a design lifetime of more than 7 years. The target orbit was identical to Sentinel-2A's, except for an opposite argument of latitude (180° apart), optimising the coverage of the constellation. As a consequence, the orbit properties are shared: 10:30 local time of the ascending node (LTDN) sun-synchronous orbit with a repeat cycle of 5 days at an altitude of about 786 km and inclination of 98.6°.^[1]

Flight[]

The launch occurred from the ELV launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, on 7 March 2017 at 01:49:24 UTC (6 March 2017 at 22:49:24 local time). The satellite was separated some 58 minutes later, before the reentry of the upper stage of the launch into the Earth's atmosphere. It was the 286th Arianespace mission (the 3rd in 2017), and the 9th successful Vega launch (the 1st in 2017). Sentinel-2B was Airbus's 117th and the European Commission's 4th spacecraft to be launched by Arianespace (of which it was the 61st Earth observation satellite launched).^[2]

See also[]

• Vega flight VV10

References[]

External links[]

• Vega Flight VV09 (Arianespace website)