LAUNCH OF ARIANESPACE VEGA ROCKET WITH SENTINEL-2C, Sept 4, 2024, Kourou, French Guiana, 9:50 pm ET

Update, Sept 4:  They will indeed try again today, same time (9:50 pm ET).

The additional checks on Flight #VV24 Vega launcher are now completed, authorizing a new launch attempt for today, September 4 10:50 pm (local time in Kourou – 01.50 a.m. UTC, 03:50 a.m. CEST on September 5).

— Arianespace (@Arianespace) September 4, 2024

Update, Sept 3:  The launch was scrubbed due to electrical issues.  A new attempt could be made tomorrow, same time.

Due to electrical issues on the ground links #VV24 launch chronology was interrupted.

Checks are being conducted to confirm a new launch attempt tomorrow Sept. 4 at 10:50 pm local time in Kourou.

The launcher & its passenger Sentinel-2C are in stable & safe conditions.

— Arianespace (@Arianespace) September 3, 2024

Original entry: Arianespace will launch the final Vega rocket on September 3, 2024 from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana at 10:50 pm local time (9:50 pm Eastern Daylight Time).

The payload is Sentinel-2C, part of the European Union’s Copernicus earth observation program.

More information is on the Arianespace website.

Vega is Europe’s smallest launcher and being replaced by Vega-C, but the second Vega-C launch failed in December 2022. Arianespace hopes to return Vega-C to flight by the end of 2024 so it can continue to launch small satellites like this on its own rather than buying launches from the U.S. company SpaceX.