Europe's Vega C rocket cleared for launch tonight, first since 2022

Arianespace's Vega C is set to make a return to flight this evening, almost two years to the day after a second-stage failure doomed its previous launch.

The Vega C is an expendable, small-lift vehicle operated by Arianespace. It managed only one successful launch, in July 2022, before the failure in December last year and a stand-down while engineers resolved the problems that led to the loss. It was a nozzle failure in 2023 that pushed the return to flight until 2024.

The failed launch left the European Space Agency (ESA) in a tight spot. The Ariane 5 heavy-lift rocket has long-since been retired, and its follow-up, the Ariane 6, suffered significant development delays. The Ariane 6 eventually made its maiden flight in July 2024 ...