Lifting off from the ELA-1 launch pad, Kourou, French Guiana, an Italian-built, Arianespace marketed, Vega light-launcher carried two Israeli-built Earth observation (EO) spacecraft to a sun-synchronous orbit. The launch occurred at 0158 GMT, 2 August, and marked the 10th mission for the Vega vehicle, continuing its – so far – flawless record.
The mission’s co-payloads were: the OPTSAT-3000 optical surveillance spacecraft built for the Italian Ministry of Defence by Israel Aerospace industries (IAI), as part of broader agreements made between the Italian and Israeli governments; and VENUS a joint project by the French and Israeli space agencies “to study the evolution of Earth’s vegetation” over the period of its 4-year mission, also built by IAI. VENUS also carries an electric propulsion payload built by Rafael, an Israeli defence contractor.