SSMS PoC
Vega
Arianespace
Mission
SSMS POC
- Type: Dedicated Rideshare
- Orbit: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
- Launch Cost: $37,000,000
The Vega POC (Proof Of Concept) flight will be the first mission of the SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service), a modular carbon fiber dispenser, a program initiated by ESA in 2016, with the contribution of the European Commission. For all the European partners involved, its purpose is to address the burgeoning institutional and commercial small spacecraft market with a new rideshare concept.
Payload includes dozens of satellites: Athena, ION CubeSat Carrier, ESAIL, NEMO-HD, GHGSat C1, six Flock-v cubesats, several Lemur-2 cubesats, twelve SpaceBEE nanosats, FSSCat A & B, RTAF-Sat, DIDO 3, IGOSat, PICASSO, PINO, PIXL, QARMAN, SIMBA, TRISAT, Casaa-Sat, TTU-100, and more.
Location
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)
Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) has witnessed the launch of 49 rockets, including 49 orbital launch attempts, while Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, has been the site for 321 rocket launches.
Rocket
Avio S.p.A Vega
Vega is the smallest lifter in the current Arianespace family.
Agency
Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a multinational company founded in 1980 as the world’s first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme. Their vehicles launch exclusively from French Guiana in South America.
