Flight Failure: Appointment of the Flight VV15 inquiry commission

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace have decided to appoint an independent inquiry commission to analyze the reasons for the Flight VV15 failure and define measures needed to ensure the resumption of Vega flights while fulfilling all requisite safety and security conditions.

This inquiry commission is co-chaired by the Inspector General of ESA and the Senior Vice President, Technical and Quality of Arianespace.

Flight VV15, which carried the FalconEye1 satellite, was the first Vega failure after 14 successful launches in a row since being introduced at the Spaceport in French Guiana in 2012.

The Vega launch vehicle lifted off as scheduled on July 10, 2019 at 10:53 p.m. (local time). Approximately two minutes later, a launcher anomaly occurred shortly after ignition of Vega’s second stage (Zefiro 23) leading to the premature end of the mission.

Separately, preparations for the next Ariane 5 launch are continuing at the Spaceport.

Flight VV15: Mission failure

Approximately two minutes after the Vega launcher’s liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana, a launcher anomaly occurred shortly after ignition of the Zefiro 23 second stage – leading to the premature end of the mission.