VEGA-C RETURN TO FLIGHT, Dec 5?, 2024, French Guiana, 4:20 pm ET

Update, December 4:  The launch has been postponed because of “a mechanical issue preventing the withdrawal of the mobile gantry.”  The next possibilty is tomorrow, December 5, at the same time.

#VegaC launch update:

During standard launch preparations, there was a mechanical issue preventing the withdrawal of the mobile gantry and the launch chronology was stopped.

The launcher and its passenger @CopernicusEU #Sentinel1 C satellite are in stable and safe conditions.… https://t.co/pCawCXYvnZ

— European Space Agency (@esa) December 4, 2024

Update, November 29:  The launch delay was indeed just one day. New launch date is December 4. Same time: 4:20 pm ET.

Update, November 27:  Arianespace, which conducts launches for ESA, posted today on X that the VV25 launch has been postponed and a new date will be announced later, but the delay was estimated to be only one day. ESA added to the post later that the date would be confirmed by Friday.

#VV25 update: launch postponement, new launch date will be confirmed by Friday 29 November. https://t.co/N2hpnF2B9P

— European Space Agency (@esa) November 27, 2024

FLIGHT VV25: LAUNCH POSTPONEMENT
(2/2) The impact of these add checks is today estimated in the range of one day. The new launch date will be confirmed by Friday November 29.
The launcher and its passenger, the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite, are in stable and safe conditions.

— Arianespace (@Arianespace) November 27, 2024

Original Entry: Europe’s Vega-C rocket is scheduled to return to flight on December 3, 2024 from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana at 18:20 local time (21:20 GMT, 4:20 pm EST).  The launch is designated VV25.

????Liftoff date for the next Vega-C rocket, flight #VV25 :

????3 December 2024
⌚18:20 local time @EuropeSpacePort (21:20 GMT, 22:20 CET)
????️ Launching Earth observer #Sentinel1 C https://t.co/3vHAKaiPUf pic.twitter.com/V2WjN8y1Bo

— ESA Space Transport (@ESA_transport) October 10, 2024

The rocket failed on December 20, 2022 on its second launch. A setback in the return to flight occurred in the summer of 2023 when a nozzle in a redesigned second stage engine failed during a static fire test.