Arianespace’s Vega rocket successfully launches 12 satellites
Arianespace, the commercial arm of the European Space Agency (ESA), tonight successfully used its Vega rocket to successfully launched a weather satellite, an Earth observation satellite, and ten cubesats12 satellites, lifting off from its spaceport in French Guiana.
The Vega rocket has only one more launch on its manifest, scheduled for next spring. Its replacement, the Vega-C, is presently grounded due to a launch failure in 2022, with the redesign of the nozzle on its upper stage taking longer than expected. With ESA’s Ariane-5 already retired, and its replacement, the Ariane-6 having not yet completed its first launch, Europe at this moment has little ability to launch anything into space.
As this was only the third launch for Europe so far this year, the leader board for the 2023 launch race remains unchanged.
70 SpaceX (with another launch scheduled in about an hour. Live stream here,)
45 China
13 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
7 India
American private enterprise still leads China in successful launches 82 to 45, and the entire world combined 82 to 73. SpaceX by itself only trails the rest of the world 70 by 73, at this moment.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Arianespace, the commercial arm of the European Space Agency (ESA), tonight successfully used its Vega rocket to successfully launched a weather satellite, an Earth observation satellite, and ten cubesats12 satellites, lifting off from its spaceport in French Guiana.
The Vega rocket has only one more launch on its manifest, scheduled for next spring. Its replacement, the Vega-C, is presently grounded due to a launch failure in 2022, with the redesign of the nozzle on its upper stage taking longer than expected. With ESA’s Ariane-5 already retired, and its replacement, the Ariane-6 having not yet completed its first launch, Europe at this moment has little ability to launch anything into space.
As this was only the third launch for Europe so far this year, the leader board for the 2023 launch race remains unchanged.
70 SpaceX (with another launch scheduled in about an hour. Live stream here,)
45 China
13 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
7 India
American private enterprise still leads China in successful launches 82 to 45, and the entire world combined 82 to 73. SpaceX by itself only trails the rest of the world 70 by 73, at this moment.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Readers: the rules for commenting!
No registration is required. I welcome all opinions, even those that strongly criticize my commentary.
However, name-calling and obscenities will not be tolerated. First time offenders who are new to the site will be warned. Second time offenders or first time offenders who have been here awhile will be suspended for a week. After that, I will ban you. Period.
Note also that first time commenters as well as any comment with more than one link will be placed in moderation for my approval. Be patient, I will get to it.