INAUGURAL LAUNCH OF ESA’S VEGA-C ROCKET, July 13, 2022, Kourou, French Guiana, 7:13 am ET

Update, July 5: Avio confirms launch now targeted for July 13 at 1313 CEST (7:13 am EDT).

? It’s official: @Vega_sts #VegaC maiden flight, #VV21, is scheduled on Wednesday, July 13 ⏰ Set the alarm at 13:13 CEST for the launch from @EuropeSpacePort ?@esa @ASI_spazio @Arianespace pic.twitter.com/abP7p9FBXx

— Avio (@Avio_Group) July 5, 2022

Update, July 4:  The launch has been delayed to July 13.

ESA’s new medium-lift #VegaC rocket is nearly ready for its inaugural flight. Flight VV21 will lift off as soon as 13 July, pending suitable conditions for launch.

Details ? https://t.co/DIRt08nRgV pic.twitter.com/5yT2Rptwdq

— ESA (@esa) July 4, 2022

Original Entry: ESA plans the first launch of its new Vega-C rocket on July 7, 2022 from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.  Vega-C is an upgraded version of the Vega rocket for small to medium class payloads. It has new first and second stages and an uprated fourth stage.

Launch time is 08:13 at the launch site in French Guiana, which is 7:13 am EDT.  It will be webcast on ESA TV.

Vega-C has taken on new importance since Russia and Europe ended their cooperation on using Russia’s Soyuz rocket as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

ESA also is about to introduce a new version of its much larger Ariane rocket, Ariane 6.