Vega C launches South Korean satellite

WASHINGTON — A Vega C rocket launched a South Korean satellite Dec. 1 as responsibility for the launches prepares to shift from Arianespace to Avio.

The Vega C rocket lifted off from the European spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, at 12:21 p.m. Eastern time on the VV28 mission. The rocket deployed its sole payload, the KOMPSAT-7 satellite, 44 minutes after liftoff.

KOMPSAT-7, built by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), is an 1,810-kilogram satellite that will provide high-resolution imagery for the Korean government. It will replace KOMPSAT-3A, launched in 2015.

The satellite is second South Korean satellite launched in less than a week. A KSLV-2, or Nuri, rocket launched the CAS500-3 satellite from South Korea Nov. 26. CAS500-3, also built by KARI, is intended for technology demonstration and space science applications.

“By launching the KOMPSAT-7 satellite, set to significantly enhance South Korea’s Earth observation capabilities, Arianespace is proud to support an ambitious national space program,” David Cavaillolès, chief executive of Arianespace, said in a statement after the launch.

Arianespace has served as the launch services provider for the Vega series of rockets since its introduction. However, a 2023 agreement called for transferring those responsibilities from Arianespace to Avio, the Italian company that serves as the prime contractor for the rocket.

That transfer was scheduled to be completed after one more mission, VV29. That launch was originally scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year but has slipped into early 2026.

In a statement, though, Avio said that it was ready to take over as the launch operator for Vega C starting with VV29. “We are now ready to take the full responsibility of Launch Service Operator for the Vega family launchers, starting with the next flight, VV29,” said Giulio Ranzo, chief executive of Avio.

“The Vega-Ariane saga has been very rich,” said Cavaillolès in a meeting with reporters during World Space Business Week in September. “In the past I know this topic has sometimes been a little emotional because it was the end of a story.”

He said Arianespace’s relationship with Avio was now “very smooth” and that the companies would continue to work together in various ways, from coordinating launches at Kourou to Avio’s role as a supplier of solid rocket boosters for the Ariane 6.

“This is not really a divorce,” he said. “This is a different way to cooperate.”